Journey of Fire and Shadow
by Scribe Shiloh
Summary: Dilandau's Dragonslayers have died, lost to him forever. Or are they? Is there a chance that they might escape the underworld? WARNING: Van is not portrayed flatteringly...but there is a good explanation as to why.
1. Part One

I don't own Escaflowne. If I did, the DS would not be dead, and Dilandau would beat Van into a bloody pulp.

Onward!

JOURNEY OF SHADOW AND FLAME: PART ONE by Feye Morgan

"Wha-what's happening?!?" Dilandau's cry echoed through the desolate battlefield.

They were falling. One by one. So quickly. The beautiful guymelefs, the magnifiscent Alseides were falling. His Angels of Death crumpled under the Dragon's claws. Their screams pierced Dilandau's ears. His head rang with them.

~No. No. This can't be happening. NO!~

Dalet fell, his guymelef pooling on the rocky earth as blood. Blood and flame.

"Dilandau-sama! Aiiiiiii-"

Chesta...

"Dilandau-sama!"

Dilandau stared in shock. The world swayed, blurring between the bars of his visor.

~No. They can't be...what is this? Demon! No!~

Terror gripped the general's heart. Escaflowne turned toward him, surrounded by the pitiful ruins of his soldiers.

"And this is for Fanelia!" The triumphant ring in Fanel's voice washed Dilandau in icy fear.

"N-NO! STAY AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Dilandau shrank back in his cockpit, hysterical beyond coherent thought. Still, the White Dragon came for him.

"Stop."

The calm tone echoed, soft, yet it penetrated the deepest recesses of the rocky hills.

"Nani?" Van growled. Dilandau blinked. His hysterics subsided slightly.

~What? Dalet? But you-you're dead, aren't you?~ No, maybe they were still alive. Maybe-

Pale shades. Ghosts. Eerie, ethereal beings of light and shadow. It was them. The Dragonslayers. His Dragonslayers. But they...

"You may not kill Dilandau-sama."

"What?" Van snarled. Dilandau could tell from his voice that he was confused. He could just see Van twisting his scrawny neck from side to side, searching.

"You may not kill Dilandau-sama."

Then they were there, surrounding him. Dilandau gasped. They were -protecting- him, even in death. Through the pain, Dilandau's hazy mind registered a glimmer of pride.

"He gave us our guymelefs. He gave us our magnifiscent guymelefs. You may not hurt the man who bestowed upon us the honor of being his Dragonslayers."

~Yes! Disable him! Then I can kill him! And we can go back to the Vione...~

But any hopes that his beloved soldiers were coming back were shattered with their next haunting words:

"Come with us."

~No.~

The red alseides was silent, motionless, as the Dragonslayers moved away from him, reaching for the Dragon. Van screamed. The Dragon gleamed black as obsidian, and fell.

Quiet. Quiet but for the blue flames that were now dying out. There was no sign of the Dragonslayers. They were gone. Dead. The smell of smoke and burning flesh permeated the air. Stifling.

"AIIIIIII!!! SHESTA! GATTI! DALET! VIOLE! No..."

Dilandau fled.

He returns only later, during the last battle of the Destiny war. Amidst the ash-blanketed and blood-trodden battlefield, a red Oreides searches for vengeance. A mysterious blinding flash of light has destroyed the Zaibach army. But Dilandau doesn't know this. Dilandau doesn't care. Dilandau has only one goal: kill the Dragon.

"Van!"

The ghosts of the dead whisper to Dilandau Albatou, and he heeds them. His eyes gleam with bloodlust, all sanity gone that once may have been there. All hope of salvation lies in the red tears of the Dragon.

"The red guymelef." Van turns in Escaflowne to meet his archenemy.

~Kill him. Kill him. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die~ The chanting pounds in his head like blood through his veins.

The ghosts' whispering stops. Something is wrong. Again. They can feel it. But the crazed general pays no heed. One goal exists, and only one goal.

Avenge. Their. Deaths.

And he comes. The electric shock of their swords clashing together thrills Dilandau. Adreneline courses through his body, putting his senses on high alert.

But it is not enough. One arm. A leg. Now the last arm. Dilandau's Oreades falls to the bloodstained earth.

Dilandau clenches his teeth so tightly they threaten to break.

~I will not die without tasting the Dragon's lifeblood~

Dilandau scrambles out of his guymelef just in time. Escaflowne's sword cleaves the helm and chest of the Oreades in two. Dilandau stares at the Dragon defiantly, ruby eyes shining from the fire around him. His silver hair catches the light, giving him an ephemeral, otherwordly appearance.

"Come out, Van! Come out and fight me face to face!"

Escaflowne pauses. Dilandau unsheathes his sword and points it at the Dragon.

"You owe me a blood debt, Fanelia."

The cockpit of the Escaflowne shoots open with a hiss. Van Fanel jumps to the ground, cinnamon eyes blazing with hatred.

"-I- owe -you- a blood debt?" he hisses.

Dilandau snarles.

"You bastard. I'll kill you for what you did to Fanelia." Van trembles with rage.

Dilandau grins, and charges, the voices of his soldiers ringing in his ears.

Swords clash, reflecting the fading sunlight. The dance of death begins. Dilandau slashes at Van's stomach. Van leans back, flipping Dilandau's sword to the side and lunging. Dilandau dodges, twists, and slices at Van's head. Fanelia counters, leaning against the impact. Swords hilt to hilt, they strain against the other's strength. Noses almost touching, eyes locked, hatred burning in each heart.

"You killed my dragonslayers."

"You destroyed Fanelia."

They break apart, circling each other.

"Do you feel no remorse for what you have done? The countless lives you have taken?" Van screams at his archenemy.

"Do you feel no remorse at what you did to them? Chesta, Gatti, Dalet, Viole, Refina? You-"

Dilandau screams and charges Van, attacking with unparalleled frenzy. Momentarily stunned, Van falls back a few steps.

~I will have him yet. I will soak my hands in his blood yet!~

Flushed with victory, Dilandau makes a mistake.

Silver arcs through the air. Dilandau's sword sinks into the earth several feet away. Following through, Van lunges, impaling Dilandau through his midsection.

"Oh..." Dilandau gasps.

~Pain... no. I have failed you! Oh my beloved soldiers I have failed you! No!~

Van twists the sword cruelly and jerks it out of Dilandau's body. The albino crumples to the ground, crimson liquid staining the earth beneath him. Calmly Van kneels down beside Dilandau, and, looking him in the eyes, carefully wipes his sword on the fallen's armor. Dilandau shudders. The feel of that hard steel, the wet drenching of his own blood; it all serves to remind the albino of his failure. Without another word, Van walks away, fading from Dilandau's sight.

~No~

Dilandau fades into darkness.

~*~*~*~

~Where am I? I thought I was dead~

Dilandau stood on an endless grey plain, still dressed in his armor. There was no sky, nothing for as far as his eyes could see.

Dilandau gasped. Out of nowhere, the dead appeared. Colorless shades of shadow, they marched on, towards some distant goal. Dilandau even recognized some of them from the Zaibach army.

~These are the dead of battle. I am one of them. But, where are we going?~ Dilandau had no choice but to march alongside them.

Each step was a burden. The farther he went, the heavier he felt. Tired. He was so tired. Just forget it all...

Something was ahead. There were walls, towering cliff sides with no ceiling. They simply went on forever into the dark. The walls narrowed closer and closer. The procession kept on marching in silence.

~A light up ahead...~

The light grew brighter, hardening shadows in the rock walls, which were now so close that he nearly scraped himself on their harsh edges.

~But can I even cut myself anymore?~ He wondered hazily. He felt himself drifting away, drifting into the growing light, no longer caring. Vengeance no longer existed. There was nothing...

Dilandau was saved merely by luck. If he had not been pushed so close to the rock side, he would have passed into oblivion. But, as fate would have it, Dilandau felt someone grasp his arm and pull. Before he could react, he was tugged bodily into a crevasse in the rock's face. Dilandau struggled against his captors.

"The light! Must...get...back...march..."

"No Dilandau-sama!"

That voice shattered the spell.

~I -know- that voice~

"C-chesta?"

The ghostly faces of his Dragonslayers shone with an eerie witchlight. Stunned, Dilandau stared at them.

"Surely, my lord Dilandau, you did not expect us to forget you."

Dilandau's mouth worked for a few seconds before he could get any sound out.

"But, the light. Did it not capture you as well?"

Chesta's face fell. "Not all of us made it, Dilandau-sama. Only Dalet, Gatti, Voile, Refina, Guimel and I were saved."

"Saved? By whom?" Dilandau was curious.

"Migel."

"Migel?!" Dilandau searched the faces of his soldiers until he found the familiar chestnut hair. "Migel."

The Dragonslayers merely smiled, and kneeled to their recovered lord.

"We are at your service, Dilandau-sama."

It all came back to him in a rush. His defeat. Van's sword stealing his lifeblood. That icy, alien substance slowly wiping crimson droplets on his armor.

"Why?" he snarled. "What point is there? We're DEAD. How can you serve me any longer?" Dilandau glared at them, his fury threatening to drown him.

"May I speak, my lord?" Migel asked.

Dilandau simply stared at him, lips pressed tightly together. Migel took that as a 'yes'.

"My lord, while I was here, I took the liberty of exploring a bit. These crevasses extend for quite some ways back, opening into caverns. I looked through many of them-"

"Get to the point, Lavariel."

"Yes, sir. In one of these caverns is...writing."

"Writing? What do you mean? Explain yourself!"

"Others before us have escaped the march into the underworld. Many of them wrote on the walls of what they had left behind, and what business they sorely wished they could have set to rest. But one of them in particular wrote of a way to get back to the realm of the living."

Dilandau stared. "Get...back?"

Migel nodded dutifully. "Yes, my Lord Dilandau. You might like to see for yourself."

Dilandau nodded, a glimmer of hope lighting his heart. "Show me."

Dilandau followed Migel through the caves, leaving the light behind. At first Dilandau was worried that they might be plunged into darkness without the light, but instead his surroundings simply took on the same opressive grey tones he had first encountered in this realm.

The caves took so many twists and turns that Dilandau would have been lost had he been alive and wandering these caves. But death seemed to have lent the albino and his soldiers an uncanny sense of direction.

Dilandau did not know how long they walked for. There was no time in the realm of the dead. Nor was there time in the limbo in which he existed now, trapped between life and the gateway to Hades. He caught glimpses of many strange caverns through the openings in the passageway he was treading. Water falling endlessly in one, strange shimmering half-lights in another.

~I must come back and inspect these...that is, if we do not escape~

"Here it is, Dilandau-sama."

Dilandau strode through a cavern opening after Migel, the rest of his soldiers at his heels. The general walked up to the spot on the wall where Migel was pointing.

"It is here. I have read of it, and I have found it. The old tales were true. Qwynn Silverlord returned from the dead. So shall I. He wrote of it in his journal. Only I have uncovered it. It was buried deep in one of my family's chests, underneath a false bottom. All who read this passage I write here, have hope. There is a way back.

"The path is dangerous. Do not attempt to return unless your heart is desperate. There is plenty of room for wandering souls in the caves. Be warned. Once you begin, there is no turning back. If you falter at any point, your spirit will be destroyed.

"In one of the caverns there is a six-pointed star etched onto the wall. I do not know what it means. Beings long before Qwynn arrived set this into motion. You must place your hand upon this star. If your desire is strong enough, a space in the wall will appear, revealing a long pathway into darkness. Beyond this, or so I have read, are trials of various sorts. All of them are of the spirit. The journal does not speak of them. Perhaps they cannot be described. But beyond them lies freedom. I go now to enter the door myself. May fortune fare well with all those who follow in my footsteps, if indeed fortune dares to exist in such a place as this."

Dilandau reread the words in silence, mulling over them. He had once heard of Qwynn Silverlord. He was a great warrior of legend, from long ago, killed in battle trying to avenge the death of his comrade.

~Not so unlike myself~

The Dragonslayers watched their leader patiently.

"Migel."

"Dilandau-sama?"

"How many caverns are there here?"

"An infinite amount, my lord. But I have already found the star."

Dilandau whirled around. "You found it? They why did you not enter it?"

"I did not wish to go alone." Migel looked at Dilandau and held his gaze steadily.

Dilandau studied Migel carefully. He nodded. "You wished to wait for us?"

"Somehow I did not think you would be far behind."

Dilandau raised a silvery eyebrow. Migel ducked his head, fearing his forwardness might have earned himself one of his lord's infamous slaps. But Dilandau did nothing. Instead, he smiled wickedly, glancing once again at the words carved in stone.

"Shall we?"(continued)


	2. Part Two

PART TWO of A JOURNEY OF FIRE AND SHADOW by Feye Morgan

Migel took the lead once more, Dilandau following, the rest of the Dragonslayers trailing in silence. A part of Dilandau almost wanted to remain in the caves. There surely was so much knowledge to be gained...

Almost.

~Van...~

Dilandau kept a picture of the wretched boy-king fixed in his mind. There was no question of his resolve to go forward. The blood of the Dragon would be his.

~I wonder if the others are having doubts~ Dilandau set his jaw tightly. ~They had better not. They are my soldiers. They are the best. They will make it. They will not falter~

"Here, my lord," Migel said, sliding through a small opening in the passage wall. It was so carefully concealed by the misty grey shadows that Dilandau would have missed it had he not been looking for it.

The inside of the cave was plain and uninteresting. There were no treasures, no scrolls, no physical anomalies to see. A casual traveller would have shrugged and left without a second glance. Dilandau, however, spotted a delicately carved relief of a six-pointed star almost as tall as he was in the rock wall not ten feet from the opening.

The friends stood in silence for a long time, staring at the symbol.

~Entrancing...~ There was something about that star that caught Dilandau.

~Power. Power radiates from this thing like poisonous fumes~

"My lord Dilandau?" Shesta inquired timidly.

The star beckoned to Dilandau, holding his mind like a trap. He strode forward and placed his left hand on the topmost point. It flared with an eerie light, not dissimilar to the one that had entranced Dilandau during the march. But this one had no spell to come with it. Those in the room should have a spell upon them already. Dilandau stared intently at the light, waiting for the opening to appear.

But nothing else happened.

Dilandau frowned.

"Dilandau-sama?" Refina spoke up hesitantly, her voice quavering.

"Hmm?"

"Perhaps it sensed that there are more shades in this room. Perhaps..."

"Perhaps we all need to touch the star?" Dilandau finished for her. "Very good, Refina. Dragonslayers, each of you take a piece of the star."

Gatti, Shesta, Viole, Guimel, and Dalet all stepped forward and placed a hand on the remaining points. Migel and Refina hesitated, uncertain, before placing their own hands in the center of the star.

Immediately, the cavern flared with a light so bright that the Dragonslayers had to shut tight their eyes so as not to be blinded. And...was that singing Dilandau heard? Gradually, the brilliance faded, leaving the surroundings the same lifeless grey as before. When the shades opened their eyes, they found their hands covering air. The rock face had vanished. Before them lay a dark passageway, wide enough, interestingly, for all of them to walk shoulder to ghostly shoulder. Mist creeped insidiously across the passageway floor, daring them. The friends looked at each other. Taking a deep breath, they stepped through.

The rock wall reappeared behing them, sealing their path.

~No turning back now~

They walked for some time in the gloom, taking comfort in each other's presence. Though he would never say so, Dilandau could not imagine taking this journey without his Dragonslayers. They were a part of him, inseparable.

Dilandau's soldiers began to get uneasy. Still nothing had happened.

~Did we miss a turn? Was that not the right star?~

Dilandau squinted. Something was ahead. The mist was denser than normal. He held out his hands, stopping his soldiers from going further.

"What the...?"

The mist swirled in the distance, laughing at them. Suddenly a dark shape broke through, heading straight for the shades. Bright eyes gleamed with malice.

A Dragon. No, wait, a Wyvern. Winged serpents without limbs, but carrying a mouth laden with poisonous fangs. Snarling, the creature lunged. Swords appeared in each of the Slayer's hands like magic. Several of them stepped forward, assuming battle stance. Dilandau's instinctual reaction was to do the same, but something held him back. Something was not right. Through his peripheral vision, he saw Migel, Shesta, and Viole hesitate as well.

"Wait." Dilandau's voice caught the Dragonslayers' attention like a steel trap. Ignoring the charging serpent, he continued in the same commanding voice. "The inscription said 'trials of the spirit' and ONLY trials of the spirit. This is the first test. Do NOT fight. Throw down your swords. NOW!" Dilandau let his drop. It vanished as soon as it hit the floor. The others followed suit.

Still the beast charged. Snarling, it opened its jaws wide, exposing its fangs. It was going to hit them...

The Wyvern passed through them like a cold wind, and vanished. It had been merely an illusion woven of the mist.

Guimel let out a rush of breath in relief.

"Thank you, Dilandau-sama," Dalet breathed.

Dilandau said nothing, only resumed the journey, Dragonslayers at his sides.

They all tensed when, after some time of walking, a cavern opened before them. Memories of past travellers whispered death in Dilandau's mind. Oblivion waited for them. The mist was too thick to tell what was beyond the opening. Remembering the Wyvern, each prepared him or herself, putting their senses on the highest alert.

~Physical preparedness will do nothing for us here. Think, Albatou, think~

As one, they entered the cavern.

Dilandau blinked. He was back at the Gate of the Underworld, marching. Spirits surrounded him, pushing relentlessly onward. The same light drew him forward, binding with its draining spell. Only this time, Dilandau looked up, looked at the source of the light, and gasped.

A vision.

He knew what was beyond the march. It was beautiful...

There was peace there. Peace. Something Dilandau had never known, but had longed for all his life, in the deepest recesses of his heart. Beyond the light his sore, tired heart slept serenely. No worries, no hurt, no more pain, just rest...

For a brief moment, all Dilandau wanted to do was follow the light. Follow it, away from Van, away from the madoushi, away from war, away from Gaea, away from life.

~But I cannot have peace~

The thought jerked Dilandau back. The light began to fade. The vision blurred. Dilandau realized sadly that having left life the way he had, he could never have peace in the underworld. There were too many ties left untied, too many things he wished he had done. Too many unresolved issues. Dilandau could not give up now. He forced himself to turn away...

And found himself standing next to his Dragonslayers in the cavern whose opening he had just entered.

~It was all a dream. I never went anywhere. It was a false promise~ Dilandau shuddered inwardly as he realized how close he had come to giving in, and being erased from existance. His eyes opened wide, suddenly remebering his soldiers. He looked anxiously at them. Migel met his gaze with a feeble smile. Refina nodded. Guimel was trembling, but there. Gatti, Shesta, and Viole all opened their eyes just as Dilandau looked at them, and gave him reassuring, if tiny, smiles. There was only Dalet left.

~Open your eyes Dalet. Come on~

Still nothing.

~Wait, is he moving?~ Dilandau thought he saw Dalet's armor shaking. He peered closer. No, not shaking.

Dalet was fading.

~NO!~

"DALET!" Dilandau's voice snapped the oppressive silence. The others flinched, suddenly afraid.

"Dalet!" Shesta chimed in, realizing what was happening.

"DALET DAMN YOU! DON'T YOU DARE GIVE IN!" Dilandau roared. Abandoning his place in the line, he grabbed Dalet by his collar and slapped him.

~Whatever you're being shown, it's a lie! Dalet! Get back here!~

"Come back Dalet!" Refina yelled.

Slowly, Dalet's edges became solid once more, and he opened his eyes to meet his commander's furious gaze.

"Damn you Dalet, don't you ever do that again," Dilandau hissed.

Dalet blinked, confused for a moment. His eyes opened as large as energists. "Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod..." he chanted.

Assured that Dalet was sufficiently terrified, the albino resumed his place.

~Now what?~

The Dragonslayers looked to the center of the cavern. Three huge steps led up to a platform. An eerie red glow from something on the platform provided the only color in the cavern.

"Is this it?" Viole asked, bemused. "Is this the way out?"

Dilandau's eyes narrowed. That red light...that had to be the portal to life. But surely their journey could not have been that easy?

They walked to the base of the steps, each of them wary. Exchanging glances, they clasped each other's hands firmly, and stepped in unison onto the first step.

Instantly, Dilandau found himself back on that fateful battlefield, inside his Aldeides. He suddered when he realized where he was. They had the Escaflowne surrounded on the same rocky hillside where his beloved soldiers had met their cruel deaths. Only this time, Dilandau was not petrified when the Dragon began to slaughter his friends. His head was clear. The choice was clear. His slayers, or him? Without thinking, Dilandau screamed at the demon.

"Fanelia! It's me you want, you bastard! Come and get me!"

Dilandau positioned himself in front of his soldiers. His Angels of Battle would not die this time. Escaflowne charged him. It moved so quickly he was barely able to follow its movements. The world spun as the White Dragon's sword cleaved the Aldeides. White stained with red... The agony of death clutched him once more. Red haze filled his sight. He was falling...

Dilandau opened his eyes, knowing he would find himself still standing on the first step.

~Clever. So. Each of the steps is another test. We pass the tests, we get out. How simple~

Once again, Dilandau checked his companions. This time, everyone was awake and smiling. That test had been easy. All of the Dragonslayers were known for their extreme loyalty, as well as their fighting prowess.

"Onward, then."

Another step...

Dilandau's sight was filled with war. Families torn apart, friends with ties as close as Dilandau and his soldiers broken by slaughter. So many, all falling, never to rise again. Cobblestone streets were stained with crimson. Dilandau watched with horror. None of this had ever bothered him before. Those houses were just kindling, just another job for Zaibach, just another thrill. They meant nothing. Flames gave life, not death. But now...now Dilandau was forced to see himself and his friends in those people whose lives were being broken. And, amidst it all, he saw the red Alseides deal out fire and death.

~Angel of Death~

Then the scene switched and he saw Van and Hitomi, both hurrying to prevent Fried from being destroyed. Their hearts panged with agony, eyes filled with tears when they tried to save their friends, and failed. They were trying to protect those lives he had taken...

It was almost too much. The pain, the guilt. He could have stopped it all. Van was trying to help. Van was the hero. Dilandau was just the worthless killer.

~Ha~

The illusion snapped once again.

~Fanel was as much to blame as me. He fought: he killed. He accepted the burden of war on his shoulders as much as I had. No. Do not try to sink me with this guilt. I have a right to live, despite what I have done. I was not free then. The madoushi filled my life with pain and suffering. But now I am free. There is good in me. I will finish what I came to do. Van is not innocent. No one ever is.~

Dilandau opened his eyes in relief once again. The others were having a much harder time with this test than the last. Forever and a day passed, until finally only Shesta was left. Slowly, he started to fade, his deeds breaking him. Sweet Shesta...Dilandau had always wondered if the life of a soldier was really suited to his kind nature.

Dilandau gritted his teeth, about to lunge forward and shake Shesta.

"Shesta...!"

But there was no need. The blond cherub-faced slayer came back, opening glistening blue eyes. Filled with remorse, but existing.

~Only one more test~

As soon as Dilandau was transported into a vision, he knew that it wasn't real, that it was false. Smiling, he faced what was to come with an attitude that was amost flippant. He would not be tricked. Not this time. His smile soon faded, however.

Van was dying. Normally this was not something that would darken Dilandau's heart. Quite the opposite. But Van was not dying by Dilandau's hand. He had been taken by a mysterious illness. As Dilandau watched, Van passed into shadow.

The albino frowned.

What if Dilandau has gone through all this trouble and pain only to find that Van, the object of his vengeance, had escaped him yet again, this time permanently? Was there then no point to his quest? Even if Zaibach had not lost the war, Dilandau could not go back there. The sorcerers would only take him once more into their clutches. Every other country had an execution waiting for him should he ever dare to show his face. Even Asturia by now had realized that Zaibach was no ally.

~There's no point then. Why bother?~

Dilandau felt himself slipping. The vision darkened. Slowly, he was falling into void.

~All in vain~

Falling...

~There's nothing left for me. Just fade away...~

"Dilandau! Dilandau-sama!"

That voice...where had he heard it before?

Dilandau struggled to recollect his thoughts. Already he felt so cold.

Was there really nothing left? Something tugged at his memory. The Void deepened, trying to hold on.

~Memory...?~

"Diiiillllaaandaauuu!"

~My Dragonslayers...they're still with me, aren't they?~

The cold relented slightly.

"Dilandau-sama! Come back! DILANDAU-SAMAAAAAAAAAA!"

"MIGEL!" Dilandau cried.

The void vanished, and Dilandau opened his eyes. Migel was staring at him, his face inches away from Dilandau's own, hands clenching his commander's shoulder armor. A look of relief washed over the shade's pale features. Then he froze, and hurriedly let go of Dilandau, dashing back to his place in the line.

Dilandau actually smiled at Migel. There was a moment of silence.

"Thank you, Migel."

Migel stared at Dilandau. The Dragonslayers blinked. Dilandau said thank you? That was unheard of. Dilandau himself was surprised.

~We've all been changed somewhat by this~

"We're here," Refina said softly.

"We're here," Gatti echoed, a ridiculous grin plastered on his face.

The source of the red light was a huge glowing energist. Blood-red it pulsed, vibrant with the promise of life. Dilandau had never seen one so big. It was even larger than the Escaflowne's crystal.

"We just...touch it?" Viole asked.

Dilandau was silent. Cautiously the friends approached the Dragon Heart. But before they came within three feet from it, the mist swirled into a pillar before them. Dilandau pushed his Dragonslayers back away from the pillar, retreating a few steps with them. Slowly, the mist began to take a shape...the shape of a man.

Dilandau's eyes opened wide with shock, recognizing the cloaked figure.

"Folken."

Folken smiled.

"Dilandau. I should have guessed."

"You're dead too?"

Folken did not answer. He merely studied Dilandau and his soldiers.

"Congratulations, travellers." Folken's voice took an almost sing-song quality, as if he was repeating his lines from an ancient rite. "You have passed the guardian, and completed the trials."

"So can we go back now?" Refina asked. Folken raised an eyebrow. He did not like being interrupted. Dilandau glanced at Refina. She quite obviously did not care. She had never been admirant of Folken Strategos. Dilandau caught her eye and glared her into silence.

Folken paused before giving an answer. Dilandau's heart froze.

"No."

"WHAT?" Gatti snarled. "Why the hell not? We passed the trials!"

"Yes, you did, Gatti. And you, Shesta, Viole, Migel, Refina, Guimel. But Dalet and Dilandau would have failed without help. You all interfered with each other's trials. Thus, I cannot let you through."

"Damn you! What did you think we were going to do? Let Dalet and Dilandau-sama just fade out?" Migel growled.

Dilandau's voice was sharp. "I do not leave my soldiers behind."

"You left Migel behind, thus leading to his death."

Dilandau's eyes narrowed. "I did not know he was missing until it was too late. Yes, I saw his 'melef go down, but Aldeides are hardy machines. Migel is a good pilot. He should be. I trained him. By the time I had counted my soldiers, Lavariel was already taken. You assume too much, Strategos."

"We help each other. That is our way. If you don't like that, tough," Guimel snapped.

Silence. Then, much to the shades' surprise, Folken laughed. Deep, rich peals echoed in the cavern.

"Well done!" he smiled. "Well done indeed. You passed the final test. The fires of your souls have defeated the shadows of your pasts."

The soldiers stared at him.

"Oh..." Refina looked abashed.

"Now, there is only one more condition. The Lord of the Underworld, who sent me here to confront you (I should have been suspicious when it told me I was the only one who could do this), does not like shades returning to life unwanted, even if they have passed all the tests. So, each of you must have one person living who wishes for your return."

Folken looked expectantly at the travellers. The mist swirled, taunting Dilandau.

~Someone who wishes me alive?~

Shesta smiled. "My brother and my parents."

Folken nodded and smiled.

"My sister, Faia," Refina said.

"Savi. He's a musician I fell in with a while back," Viole explained. "Met him in a bar once. We became pretty good friends."

"My aunt," Guimel said.

"Lady Sienna," Gatti blushed. Refina raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

Dalet and Migel both gave their answers. All eyes turned to the pale albino.

"Jajuka."

"Jajuka died shortly after you. He was killed by Van Fanel."

Dilandau stared in shock.

~Not another! No! Jajuka...~

The Dragonslayers exchanged glanced, wondering who this Jajuka was, and why he meant so much to their leader.

"Dead?"

"I am sorry."

Dilandau's mouth worked, but no sound came out.

~Van~

"You have to come up with another name, Dilandau-sama," Guimel whispered.

"I know, I know!" Dilandau snapped.

~Is there anyone left?~ There was no one he could think of. The madoushi certainly would like it if Dilandau was alive again, but Dilandau would rather fade than name them. Besides, they didn't see Dilandau as a human being with a soul, however tarnished. To them , he was a thing to do tests on.

"You must name someone, Dilandau."

The cavern walls seemed to close in on him. Dilandau's mind searched frantically, delving into every memory, desperately trying to remember one kind look from one person who was still living.

"Here, let one of us go back first! Then that person can wish for Dilandau to live!"

"I am afraid I cannot allow that."

"Why not?" Gatti was angry.

"You all completed the trials together. You started this journey together, and you will finish it together. If Dilandau goes, he must go with you, or not at all."

"That's stupid!"

Folken merely waited, his expression unchanging.

"Dilandau?"

"I...I don't know."

"Master Dilandau no!"

Dilandau shot Migel a dangerous look. "Lavariel..."

"Sorry, Dilandau-sama. It's just...if you don't go, then we won't either. There's nothing for us without you."

~But you must go~

Refina spoke up, ever the fiery slayer, now radiant with fury. "Folken! You know about Dilandau! You must have some idea! Help him, dammit!"

Folken hesitated. He turned his head, slightly, as if listening to an invisible presence. Dilandau strained to listen.

Folken straightened. "Very well. The Lord of the Underworld has given me permission."

The slayers visibly relaxed.

"Before I died, I left Zaibach, and joined my brother. Dilandau, be silent. Wait until I am finished."

Dilandau shut his mouth. Van...

"I had come upon Allen Schezar alone in some gardens. He looked quite sad, so I asked him what was the matter. He was holding a curious flower in his hand. He told me about his sister, Serena, and how she vanished without a trace. He had been looking for her ever since. Something about this struck me. When I pressed him further, he described Serena to me. Silver-golden hair, blue eyes, angelic disposition, and an unhealthy fascination with fire, which would surely dissipate with time, as all childish fancies do."

Folken paused, and carefully studied Dilandau before moving on.

"I remembered this girl. She was taken by the madoushi the same day Serena vanished. She was the reason I left the sorcerers. I was appalled at what they intended to do to the child, and would not take part in it, though I was powerless to prevent it. What they did was indeed terrible. They performed what they liked to call a Fate Alteration Experiment. Strapping the girl to a table, they altered her genetic code, transforming the five-year old girl into a boy. A boy they named Dilandau Albatou."

The slayers stared at Dilandau. Their loyalty to him never wavered even for a second, but the news shocked them to the core. They knew of the madoushi, but they had never heard anything so terrible.

Dilandau was frozen. The cavern disappeared. The mist closed in on him, crushing, suffocating.

"Don't leave me alone! Jajuka!" Dilandau screamed, trying to get to the friendly dog-man, struggling against the black-clad demons who held her.

"No! Serena!"

Dilandau fought off the mist, breathing hard, trying desperately to stay conscious. He had never known. Never guessed.

"So...so...is my life a lie? Am I even real?" Dilandau's voice was hollow.

"Never doubt your existence. Yes, you are real. Your soul is the same, no matter your physical appearance. Your mind is the same, no matter what. That is all they changed: your features. Nothing else was touched. Serena's love of fire stayed with you. Even her love of flowers remained. She always liked roses."

~The rose for my Dragonslayers...on the bridge...after their deaths...~

"Serena would have turned out with the same likes and dislikes no matter what, male or female. Your surroundings influenced you to become a soldier, yes, but you and Serena are the same entity. The only shred of a difference is your physical attributes. If you changed into a girl now, you would find no difference in your thoughts, mannners and abilities. You are Dilandau Albatou, and will always be Dilandau Alabtou. If you were not, then why would your spirit still retain the shape it is in now?"

Dilandau was silent.

"So...what does this have to do with Dilandau getting back to life?" Refina asked impatiently.

Folken smiled. "I told Allen what happened to Serena. He believes that she can still be recovered."

"'Recovered'?" Dilandau asked dubiously.

"Yes. The fool cannot accept that Serena is the ruthless soldier who loved fire."

"The Serena he thinks he knows never existed in the first place," Dilandau said flatly. "How is that going to get me back?"

"Simple. Allen Schezar wishes you were alive."

"So..."

"Name him."

"Allen Schezar."

Folken smiled, and stepped out of their path. "Return, shades, to the land of the living. Go and be blessed."

The slayers smiled at each other. As if reading each other's minds, the friends each placed their right hand on another's shoulder, and reached for the energist with the left.

"One the count of three," Dilandau ordered. "One, two, THREE."

The energist flared brilliantly. A beam of pure light enveloped them, lifting them slowly up and away from Folken and the Underworld.

"Goodbye, Folken!" Dilandau called.

Before Dilandau and his slayers disappeared, he saw Folken smile and wave.

"Goodbye, Dilandau. And good luck."


	3. Part Three

PART THREE of JOURNEY OF FIRE AND SHADOW by Feye Morgan

A silver-haired boy lay crumped on the ground; strange crimson uniform stained dark with what was unmistakably dried blood. Surrounding him, the ravages of war had churned the landscape to ruin. Broken guymelef wreckages lay strewn on the ground, leaking sickly blue transmission fluid mixed with suspicious red liquids.

Suddenly, a beam of light lit up the dark battlefield, depositing eight figures dressed in armor.

Dilandau Albatou scanned his surroundings, looking to see if their arrival had drawn any unwanted attention. But the battlefield was deserted...for now.

Dilandau breathed deeply. It was so nice to be alive again.

A white glint caught the boy's eye. Slowly, Dilandau walked over to the silver-haired soldier lying on the ground. His Dragonslayers followed, eyes opeing wide as they realized whom it was lying dead before them.

"D-Dilandau-sama..." Shesta gasped.

Dilandau knelt down and touched his corpse. Immediately, it vanished, leaving no hint that it had ever existed.

"Strange," Dilandau frowned.

Dilandau stood abruptly. "Dragonslayers, for until Van Fanel is dead that is what you still are, we cannot walk around in these uniforms. We would be recognized immediately. Search around; find any inconspicuous uniforms that we can use. Preferably -not- from Zaibach."

As Dilandau himself rummaged through ash and metal, he pondered what to do.

~Looks like Zaibach lost the war~ he thought, noting the massive numbers of Zaibach dead.

The largest obstacle was not finding Van. Finding the Dragon would be easy enough. But Dilandau had no intention of dying soon after Fanel himself was dead. He had to kill Van, and escape with his life. That led to the question of where to go. What would he do with himself after Van was eliminated? He could not hide forever. Nor could they conceal themselves among a crowd for long. Dilandau had taught his Dragonslayers to be too proud. They would stick out like a sore thumb amongst common folk. Frustrated and annoyed, Dilandau ran his fingers through his hair.

"Dilandau-sama!" Refina hissed softly. Her tone told him something was not right.

"Refina?"

The Dragonslayer pointed at the sky. Following with his eyes, Dilandau frowned. A small speck of light that was almost certainly a flying guymelef shone in the distance. It was getting brighter.

~A Zaibach guymelef? No, Zaibach was defeated. Then that leaves...~

Dilandau searched frantically for a katina, or even a dagger. He swooped down, snatching up a bloodied sword from a half-buried scabbard. He turned to behold the Escaflowne shooting towards them.

"Vaaaaaannn..."

Gatti gasped. "Look Dilandau-sama! Asturian 'melefs approaching from the south!"

Dilandau gritted his teeth.

~Curse you, Fanelia. You brought reinforcements with you to investigate~

Dilandau took up attack stance. Apparently, however, the albino's soldiers had something else in mind. Dilandau had only a brief glimpse of a red-haired Dragonslayer swinging something that looked suspiciously like a rock at his head, before all went black.

* * *

Van Fanel transformed the Escaflowne into fighting mode just before he hit the ground with a jarring thud.

*So. Zaibach soldiers came to investigate as well?*

Van frowned. They looked very familiar. The seven of them were standing close to Dilandau's body. Van smiled grimly at the memory of his katina slicing into his archenemy, of the pale soldier's gasp of pain, of the thick crimson pool spreading beneath his broken form.

*At last, my people have been avenged. I hope the afterlife is very painful for you, Dilandau Albatou*

Van drew Escaflowne's sword. Opposite him, and on the other side of the Zaibach soldiers, his Asturian allies drew close.

Van glanced between them and Dilandau.

*Their uniforms. That's where I've seen them before. Those are some of his Dragonslayers. But, didn't I kill them?*

Van shrugged mentally. So what if he had? Perhaps there had been more. Perhaps these were the last of them, come to find their leader.

*Congratulations. You found him. Soon, you will join him*

Van smiled grimly. He pointed Escaflowne's sword at them.

"Surrender, or be sentenced to death on the spot!" Van yelled. Van half-expected the seven soldiers to actually fight, but instead they remained silent, defiant nonetheless. One of them, a small blonde boy, knelt down by Dilandau and placed his fingers on the silver-haired soldier's throat, presumably checking for a pulse. Van snorted. There was no way Dilandau could have survived the wound he had given him.

"Your captain is dead. Surrender yourselves, NOW!"

The blonde whispered something to a red-haired Dragonslayer. Her expression flickered...with what? Pain, remorse? Or was that relief?

Van shook his head, banishing the thought. It did not matter. When he looked up again, the Asturian soldiers were binding the Dragonslayers. Guymelefs scooped them up in huge metalic hands, and waited for Van's signal.

Casting one last triumphant look at the broken figure on the battlefield, Van Fanel switched Escaflowne to Dragon mode, and headed for the Crusade.

* * *

~Whoever hit me is going to visit the underworld a second time, and very very soon~

Dilandau's first thoughts upon waking were shattered by a splitting headache as he attempted to stand.

~Ouchohgodouch!~ Dilandau lay in a rather uncomfortable position for a couple minutes, while the throbbing in his head receeded.

~Never mind. I won't kill them. Just maim them. Slowly~

"Shesta? Gatti?" Dilandau called out. Slowly he raised his head.

~Where are they?~

Dilandau looked frantically around until his eyes caught sight of a smoothed out patch of dirt at his feet. There was writing there...

"Please forgive us, Dilandau-sama."

~Curses! They gave themselves up! Shesta! Gatti! Viole! I'm going to skin you alive!~

Dilandau tugged at his hair in frustration. After all they had gone through together, after finally being reunited, they had to go and get themselves captured.

~Escaflowne~

Dilandau paused.

~That's why. There was no where to go, they knew they wouldn't be killed on the spot, but that I would, so they made it seem like I was dead~

Dilandau almost smiled. Those fools were so loyal that they would willingly die for him, as they had already shown.

~And if I don't hurry, they'll die for me again~

Dilandau studied the area where the Asturian guymelefs had been.

~Tsk tsk. So sloppy~

The Asturians had left a track so plain that a child could follow it, even in the chaotic aftermath of the battle. Dilandau thought regretfully of his armor. He could certainly not go in that, and there was no time to search for alternative armor. Dilandau slipped out of his crimson suit, feeling much too vulnerable in only a thin sleeveless lavender tunic and ebon leather pants.

~There's no help for it. I'll have to set out like this. Conspicuious, there's no doubt, but this pretty red uniform would attract WAY more attention~

Carefully, Dilandau arranged his uniform on the ground to look like a body.

~If Van flies over again soon, hopefully he won't notice the difference~

Dilandau fingered the tiara at his brow.

~Nope. No way I'm leaving this. I'll just hide it later~

Dilandau had no clue why, but he was very attatched to that particular piece of jewelry.

The ruby-eyed albino set his jaw determinedly.

~I never leave my soldiers behind~

He directed one last glance at his discarded uniform, and began to walk south.

* * *

Dilandau watched the Crusade from behind the ruins of a Zaibach guymelef. It had taken him hours to track the Asturians this far. He had been terrified that he would be too late. Fortunately, however, the Crusade seemed to have been damaged. One of its levistones was missing, as well as a sail. They had only just salvaged a levistone from the wreckage of another ship, and were now attempting to attatch it to the Crusade.

Dilandau squinted, trying to find any sign of his Dragonslayers. The guymelefs had come here, that was for sure, but had they dropped their prisoners off, despite the damage the ship had sustained, or had they gone on, looking for other transport? The albino gritted his teeth. He did not like waiting. Too many things could happen while one sat by idly.

~Show me some sign! Anything!~

As if in answer to his prayers, a familiar figure dressed in a blood-red shirt emerged from inside the ship.

~Van~

The king paused, as if sensing that something was not quite right. Dilandau ducked his head behind the guymelef, not even daring to breathe, even though he was a safe distance away from the Crusade. He felt Fanel's eyes pass over...

Dilandau risked a peak at Van. He sighed with relief. The king was now talking with Allen Schezar. Dilandau watched Allen interestedly. Allen, ironically enough, was the entire reason Dilandau was alive.

~He's in for a rude awakening if he ever tries to 'take me back'~

Dilandau shook his head. Allen would never be convinced that his sister was truly Dilandau himself.

~But Allen's inability to see me as one single person could definitely help me. After all, he would never try to kill me, now that he knows~

Dilandau blinked, and ducked down. Van was heading his way, walking with Allen Schezar. Apparently they wanted to exchange words alone.

Dilandau grinned evilly. He loved eavesdropping. He perked his ears and listened closely.

"...beam of light?" Allen asked.

"Hai. They looked very familiar. I think they are the last of Albatou's Dragonslayers."

There silence for a moment. Dilandau strained to hear. Finally! Word on his friends!

"Why did you kill him?" Allen's voice was bitter. Van snorted with disgust.

"The man was a monster, Allen! He killed thousands of people without remorse! Hell, he even LIKED killing! He destroyed my country, Allen!"

Dilandau winced. He was not proud of what he had done. Not after walking the shadowy realm of the underworld. He could still hear ghosts whispering to him sometimes. Their feathery touches chilled his mind. Dilandau shook himself.

"He was my sister you baka!" Allen snarled.

Dilandau stifled a laugh. The situation was highly amusing.

"How the heck was I supposed to know that? Besides, your sister was probably lost anyhow. Zaibach killed her when they created Dilandau."

"I won't believe that."

Silence.

~Come on. Come on! Talk about the Dragonslayers!~

"I ordered the prisoners held in the hangar of the Crusade," Van said, changing the subject. "I hope that's alright with you."

Allen said nothing.

"Allen," Van said, his voice softer, "I'm sorry about your sister. I really am. If I had known, perhaps I wouldn't have killed him."

A pause.

"You would have."

"Nani?"

"You like war too much, Van. Hitomi was right." Dilandau heard Allen's footsteps receeding. Van sighed.

~Maybe I could just jump out now and...~ Dilandau toyed with the thought for a moment.

~No, I couldn't. I'm too far away to surprise him. The crew would be alerted, and any hope of saving my Dragonslayers would vanish~

"First to Palas," he heard Van say. The king was talking to himself. "At Palas those soldiers will be tried and executed, and all remnants of Dilandau's legacy will be wiped out at last."

~You wish~

Dilandau heard Van's footsteps fade. He waited several moments, and then poked his silvery head up. His heart clenched. The Crusade was almost fixed.

~Somehow I have to get on that ship!~

But how? Even without his armor, his face was well known, especially by the men of the Crusade. Dilandau leaned back against the wreckage and closed his eyes.

Immediately, an image began to form in his mind. Mist swirled, laughing, taunting. A darker shape formed beyond. It came closer. Dilandau -knew- that shape.

~Folken. You again? Is this a vision?~

|Dilandau. I may speak with you only briefly. You and your soldiers amuse the Lord of the Underworld. Never have so many escaped his realm, and all at once as well. He is, therefore, willing to indulge me in my desire to help you|

~Folken...~

|It is true that if you try to enter the Crusade as you are now, you will be caught and most likely killed. But, have you forgotten that you can change your appearance?|

~Wha-? Folken, I already have! Look! My hair is all mussed up, my armor is gone, and my face is smudged with ash! This is as good as it gets~

|Think, Dilandau! Remember, once you looked much different...|

Dilandau blinked mentally.

~Serena? You mean, I can change my appearance?~

Folken nodded. |I must leave you now, Dilandau. Good fortune be with you|

~Wait! How do I change? Folken!~

Folken faded away without answering, and Dilandau opened his eyes.

~Good fortune my foot. This is -not- going to be pleasant. Curse you Fanel! Curse you madoushi! This is all YOUR fault!~

Swearing under his breath, Dilandau concentrated.

~How the hell am I supposed to know what I look like as a girl? Grrrr...~

Dilandau furrowed his brow, seeking some forgotten memory.

~I must have looked into a mirror when I was little...~

Slowly, fragments came back to him. Golden hair with a hint of the silver to come, wide blue eyes, inquisitive expression...

~Umm...ok...now what? Er...go Serena!~

Nothing happened.

~GRRRRRR~

Dilandau clenched his fists tightly. He HATED not being in control, not knowing what to do.

In a fit of anger, Dilandau concentrated on the mental image of the girl, and flung it towards himself.

~Whoa!~

Dilandau felt a sudden jerk in his stomach. His entire body was flaring with pain. Pain, so much pain. He bit his lip hard, drawing blood. Suddenly, it was gone. Dilandau licked the salty blood from his mouth, glad that it was over.

~What the? OMYGOD!~

Dilandau's body was significantly smaller, his hands delicate, his legs thinner. And...why the heck was his shirt sticking out like that?

Dilandau put a hand to his face. His scar...it was gone...

~OMYGOD! It actually -worked-!~

Dilandau was a girl.

Sounds of bustle and preparation roused Dilandau from his thoughts. (AN: I'm still describing Dilandau as a 'he', just to make the point that he hasn't really changed at all. He just looks different)

~The Crusade! It's preparing to take off!~

He looked down at his attire.

~Girls don't dress like this in Asturia. Hmm...~

To his left, Dilandau spotted a banner lying in the dirt. He crawled over to it, attempting to adjust to his new form. The banner was a light blue. An emblem was embroidered on one side, but the other side was plain.

~This should do nicely~

Dilandau wrapped the cloth around himself, effectively concealing his odd dress, and hiding his salvaged katina and his tiara beneath. He took several deep breaths.

~I can't believe I'm actually doing this~

Dilandau walked out from behind the guymelef, trying to appear disoriented and lost. He succeeded quite well, mostly from the fact that he hadn't mastered his limbs, and was tripping over his own feet.

"Hey! You!" One of the crewmen had spotted him.

Dilandau looked up with what he hoped was a relieved and frightened expression. Pitching his voice as high as he could, he shouted to the crewman.

"Help me!"

"Miss? Oi! Gaddess! C'mere! There's a girl out on the battlefield!"

A dark-haired man in a green uniform came out of the Crusade. He looked at Dilandau with surprise.

"Miss? What are you doing out here?"

Dilandau thought fast.

"M-my papa! H-he was out there! H-he never came back!"  
Dilandau forced tears into his eyes.

~If any of my Dragonslayers are watching this, I -will- hurt them. Severely~

"Aw, geez Sarge! We should take her with us. Miss? Where are you from?"

"P-Palas," Dilandau stammered.

The man named Gaddess smiled at Dilandau. "Well missy, you're in luck. We're going straight there. Why don't you come on board, and we'll take you home, ok?"

Dilandau nodded and limped forward.

~I can't BELIEVE I just DID that! Argh!~

While Gaddess escorted him to a "nice, safe compartment" on the Crusade, Dilandau thought up ingenious, slow, and painful ways to kill every single madoushi.

"Now, little lady, you just stay here, and I'll come and get you when we'vce arrived, ok?" Gaddess smiled warmly at Dilandau. Dilandau felt sick.

Mentally kicking himself, Dilandau forced a hopefully genuine-looking beam back at the soldier. Apparently it worked. Reassured that the mysterious girl was safe, he resumed his duties elsewhere.

Imediately, Dilandau shed the banner, and concentrated as hard as he could on his -normal- form. The transformation was much less painful this time.

~Perhaps it's because I'm the most used to this image~

Dilandau sighed with relief. He vowed to himself that he would NEVER EVER turn into a girl again. (AN: he won't. I swear. That's the last time he changes for his entire life. Don't hurt me, k?)

~I like being a boy, I like being a boy...~

Gaddess would certainly miss the 'sweet little girl', but that was no problem of his. Dilandau was inside the ship, and that's all that mattered.

Careful not to make a sound, Dilandau opened the compartment door, and checked the hallways. All was clear. Dilandau smiled grimly.

He spent the next hour or so exploring the Crusade. He was never seen once. Dilandau had spent much of his life hiding in shadows and roaming the Vione undetected. The Crusade was a piece of cake; especially with most of the crew much too busy making sure the ship was holding together to patrol the halls. At one point, Dilandau spotted an unused maintenance uniform lying on the ground. Knowing that he would look much less conspicuous while wearing a crewman's attire, he donned the uniform over his tunic and pants. At another point, he managed to steal a pair of glasses. He knocked out the lenses, as they made his eyes hurt when he put them on. Looking at his reflection in his sword, he was amazed at how much of a difference the thick-lensed spectacles made to his appearance.

~Perfect~

Smiling smugly, Dilandau fingered the hilt of his sword.

He managed to steal seven more uniforms. He planned to have the Dragonslayers discard their armor and slip out with the rest of the crew. From there, well, he would figure that out once his friends were safe.

~Van~

As Dilandau searched for the hangar, his mind wandered to the boy-king. Van Fanel. The cause of so much of his suffering. True, Zaibach's madoushi carried much of the blame, but it was Van who scarred his perfect face, Van who mercilessly slaughtered his only friends in the world, Van who killed Jajuka.

It was all Van's fault. And Van would pay. Oh yes, Fanel would pay dearly for his crimes.

Dilandau was paying so much attention to deciding exactly -how- his enemy would pay, that he didn't look where he was going. As a result, when he turned the corner, he ran smack into none other than the object of his musings. Van Fanel.


	4. Part Four

A JOURNEY OF FIRE AND SHADOW: PART FOUR by Feye Morgan

Dilandau walked full-force into the king. Van Fanel backed away, an apology automatically falling from his lips. Then he paused.

~Oh my god~ Dilandau thought, panicking. He must not be discovered this soon.

Van stared at Dilandau, who was looking down, hiding his bright crimson eyes from view and holding his katina behind his back. Van -knew- he had seen the worker from someplace before...

"Excuse me, but have we met?"

Dilandau paused.

~There's no one around. Maybe I could just kill him right here and be done with it. I could hide his body, and no one whould know until it was too late...~

Dilandau discarded the thought almost as soon as it entered his head. Tempting though it was, Dilandau realized that Van would be missed before the voyage was done. Furthermore, killing someone involved spilling blood, especially if a sword was involved. If someone walked by while Dilandau was cleaning up the mess, his charade would be over, and his Dragonslayers' lives forfeit.

He also wanted to make Van suffer before he died.

"No, my lord. I do not believe so." Dilandau said, trying to disguise his voice. As soon as the words fell from his lips, the albino winced inwardly. His voice was too distinctive to be changed.

Van frowned.

*That voice...I've heard that voice before...*

"Dilandau..." Van whispered. The name was almost inaudible.

~Damn~

Dilandau held his breath, his hands tightening on his katana.

Van shook his head.

*No, Dilandau is dead. I made sure of that. This fellow simply looks similar to him*

Dilandau held back a sigh of relief when the king waved his hand dismissively.

"I am sorry to have kept you from your duties." Van nodded at Dilandau and walked on, apparently having dismissed him from his mind.

Heart pounding in his chest, the albino slid into some dark shadows by a corner, and attempted to calm his thoughts. Holding himself back from killing Van had taken all of his energy. As soon as the dark-haired boy's face had clicked in his mind, the whispering had come back.

Ghosts of the underworld. They were reminding him of why he had returned to the living.

~But did I really come back just to kill Van, or did I come longing only for a second chance?~

The last vision Dilandau had endured in the realm of shadow would suggest the latter, but Dilandau was still torn.

The albino bowed his head, the taunting mists threatening to overwhelm him.

|One step at a time, Dilandau|

The calm, deep voice of Folken reached him from somewhere deep in the recesses of the boy's mind.

~One step at a time. That's right. Get my Dragonslayers free. THEN I will decide what to do next~

With Folken's wisdom holding the ghosts at bay, Dilandau continued down the halls of the Crusade.

Seven soldiers in battered blue uniforms sat huddled in a small cell. Three guards armed to the teeth paced back and forth, stretching their legs. Had the prisoners not been in an airship cell, the guards would have broken up their huddle long ago. But as it was, they saw no need to keep the seven from talking to one another. After all, there was no escape from an airship.

"We came all this way, just to die again," Guimel sighed.

Gatti frowned. "That's not true. We saved Dilandau-sama, didn't we?"

The slayers' eyes flicked briefly over to the guards, hoping none of them had overheard.

Refina nodded. "Do you think he's very angry with us?"

Dalet grinned. "Furious, I'll bet. Especially with you, Refina. Don't think he didn't get a glimpse of red hair before you knocked him out."

The fiery-haired slayer gave a weak grin.

"I hope he doesn't try to come after us," Guimel said.

"Knowing him, he will," Migel muttered. He sighed, and then shook his chestnut head. "There's nothing to worry about, though. This cursed ship took off before he could ever track us down. Besides, if he had made it here, they'd probably have caught him, and we'd have heard about it."

This seemed to make sense to the rest of the slayers.

"Yes, Dilandau-sama is safe."

"I wonder where he'll go?"

"Probably to hunt down that blasted Dragon."

Refina's eyes narrowed at the mention of the hated king. She smiled unpleasantly. "Dilandau-sama will get him. I'm sure of it."

The friends spent some time discussing the possible 'interesting' modes for demise that their leader might have in store for his archenemy. Their sadistic laughs rang eerily off the cell walls.

The guards, judging by their expressions, were quite unnerved, so that when a knock came at the prison door, they were more than happy to answer it, secretly hoping that replacements had come to relieve them. The slayers paused in their discussion to view the visitor.

It was a worker, probably an engineer. The pile of clothes in their arms hid their face.

"Here, I'll help you with that," one guard offered. There was a muffled reply from behind the clothes. The guard leaned forward, trying to catch what the person was saying.

The slayers heard a dull thud, and the guard's eyes rolled back in his head. He slumped unconscious to the ground.

"What the-" the guards stammered.

"DILANDAU-SAMA!"

The two remaining guards froze, unsure of what had just happened. The moment's hesitation was all Dilandau needed. He spun swiftly, kicking one guard in the head with his foot. He went down. The other guard backed away, hand fumbling for his sword. Dilandau swiftly unsheathed his katina, and held the point firmly against the man's throat. Eyes wide with fear, the guard held his hands shakily above his head.

"W-who are you?" he asked in a terrified whispered.

The albino smiled wickedly. He removed his glasses and tossed his head back, letting his hair fall into some of its usual, distinctive style.

The guard's eyes opened even wider. He went white as a sheet.

"Albatou."

"Now, you just keep quiet, and you won't get hurt. Understood?"

The man nodded as best he could with a sword at his throat.

"Good," Dilandau purred. "Now, unlock the cell door. No, the one with -my- soldiers in it, you idiot. Don't try me."

The cell lock opened with a click, and Dilandau cracked the hilt of his katana against the remaining guard's temple.

Smiling, Dilandau looked up into the faces of his soldiers.

To his surprise, they did not look happy to see him.

"Dilandau-sama..." Shesta whispered, face filled with horror.

"What?" Dilandau snapped, annoyed.

~Am I cut? Bleeding? What the hell is the matter?~

Dilandau growled.

"Dilandau-sama, you shouldn't have come after us," Gatti said.

Dilandau's ruby eyes narrowed into slits. "What did you say? Second-in-command, you forget your place. Don't you dare to presume what I may or may not do. You remember what I told Folken? I. Do. Not. Leave. My. Soldiers. Behind. Got it?"

"B-but Dilandau-sama!" Refina cried, stiffening for the slap she knew was to follow. "You could get killed!"

Dilandau stormed over to her, his face inches from her own. Refina forced herself to meet his eyes.

"You were certain to be killed. Do you think I am stupid enough to walk in here without a plan? You have more sense in your head than that, Refina. Do not disappoint me." Dilandau held her gaze for another long moment. Abruptly he straightened, and bent to gather the scattered engineer uniforms he had 'borrowed'.

"You will all remove your uniforms and wear these instead. Your faces are relatively unknown, so you will be overlooked in these clothes." The general tossed a uniform at each slayer. "Now."

While his slayers changed uniforms, Dilandau tore strips of cloth from the guards' sleeved outer tunics and bound their hands and feet securely. Careful not to jar them awake, he then lifted them and placed them inside the cell, which he locked. The albino smiled evilly and pocketed the keys.

"Everyone ready?"

"Hai."

"We will all separate into pairs once we exit this door. A group of eight attracts much more attention than a couple of workers. When the ship lands, get out as soon as you can. I will be by the damaged wing, pretending to examine it. I know enough about airships to pass as an engineer if I am questioned. From there, we will plan what to do."

Dilandau replaced his glasses and ruffled his hair once more.

"If I hear one peep out of any of you, you'll wish I'd never shown up," he growled.

The eight 'engineers' walked casually out of the prison sector, branching off into the shadows of the corridors.

* * *

Van paced the bridge impatiently.

"We will be arriving in Palas shortly, Van," Allen Schezar said curtly. His argument with the young king had touched off both tempers.

"It's about time," Van growled. Allen frowned disapprovingly, and then sighed. Van had been irritable ever since Hitomi had left. According to Van, just after the Fate Alteration Machine had been destroyed, she had mysteriously vanished out of his very arms. It was generally accepted that her time on Gaea had expired, and she had gone home to her Mystic Moon.

::I wonder if I'll ever see her again:: Allen thought.

Van's sharp voice broke the knight's musings.

"How soon can we get the trial underway?"

Allen sighed. "Almost immediately. The people are flushed with their victory over Zaibach, and they are eager to see the remnants of their military might destroyed. I am sure that Millerna-hime and Eires-hime will push for a trial as soon as possible."

Van smirked. "Good."

"Why do you wish for their deaths so vehemently, Van?"

Van spun, fury twisting his features. "They destroyed my entire COUNTRY, Allen! Fanelia! All of it! Gone! Burnt to ashes!"

"You killed Dilandau. Isn't that enough?"

"No."

Allen closed his eyes and turned away to gaze out the helm window. The sun was rising over Palas, bathing the city in a golden glow.

::How deceptively divine. Looking at that city, one would not guess that seven children are to meet their untimely deaths there::

Allen frowned.

::But, they aren't children, are they? No, Zaibach made them all grow up far too quickly. Zaibach ruined them, just like they ruined Serena. Oh, Serena. How I wish you were not lost to me forever!::

Allen glanced at Van. The arrogant king was pacing once again, eyes fixed on the approaching capital.

::Hitomi, if only you hadn't left Van. You brought out what good there was in him. Now I fear that all there is left is anger. He will never be satisfied. He was not even satisfied with the death of Dilandau, and the death of my dear sweet sister::

Allen Schezar steeled his mind, and gazed stoically at the shining golden city of death rising to meet him.

Dilandau and Migel strode down corridor after corridor, looking for the exit.

~This ship -can't- be this big. It doesn't -look- big from the outside...~

Dilandau growled with frustration.

"Migel," he hissed, "do you remember which way you came in?"

Migel studied the hallways. Dilandau gritted his teeth, and resisted the urge to slap his soldier.

"That way, I believe, my lord."

"You had better be right, Lavariel."

"Yes, Dilandau-sama."

Dilandau's ruby eyes narrowed into slits. They walked for several minutes without encountering a single soul. Migel grew increasingly nervous, well aware of his commander's short temper. But, just as Dilandau was about to verbally assault his companion, he paused suddenly, and held out a hand, motioning for Migel to stop as well.

"Listen," Dilandau whispered.

The pair could hear cranks and groans emanating from the mechanics of the ship. Wings furled and landing gear churned down.

~We have arrived~

Dilandau braced himself for the jar of impact. To his surprise, he barely felt the ship sway.

~Whoever is piloting this craft is good~

Migel looked questioningly at his commander. Still, Dilandau motioned for both of them to remain still. The albino's ears pricked when he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Another engineer walked briskly past them, not even giving them a second glance.

"Now," Dilandau said quietly, once the engineer was out of hearing range, "we just follow him." The engineer, like his fellows, would be heading towards the exit.

Dilandau smiled, and pondered his sweet revenge was he took step after step to freedom.

Shesta and Refina breathed in deeply, tilting their heads back to let the sunlight bathe their faces.

"Free," Shesta murmured.

"Well, not quite free yet. They're bound to find the guards and our discarded uniforms in the cell. Dilandau must have 'borrowed' these engineers' clothing from somewhere. We have to get out of here before they put two and two together. Do you see Dilandau-sama, Shesta?"

Shesta squinted, letting his eyes adjust to the bright sunlight.

"There, by the damamged wing, like he said he would be."

The two slayers went to greet their commander. Migel was there, as was everyone else.

"You're late," Dilandau said, his voice and face cool and emotionless.

Shesta and Refina bowed their heads. "We're sorry, Dilandau-sama."

Dilandau gazed at them for a moment before replying.

"Fortunately, not too late. Come on. Let's go." Dilandau took the lead, walking away from the Crusade. No one saw them leave. Everyone was already preoccupied with either checking the ship or greeting the huge crowd of jubilant welcomers who were presently occupied in swarming the airship.

"Where are we going, Dilandau-sama?" Guimel asked curiously.

"You were under the impression that we would be taking a guymelef out, weren't you?"

Guimel turned red, knowing that he looked foolish in his lord's eyes.

"Hai, Dilandau-sama."

"A guymelef would attract too much attention. With both the Escaflowne and Scherezade nearby, we would not get far. Especially not with the pathetic models Asturia uses. They can't even fly." Dilandau snorted contemptuously.

The Dragonslayers were silent, not wishing to provoke their leader by asking too many questions. But Dilandau must have sensed their curiosity, for he smiled slightly, and continued.

"We will be taking horses, Guimel. If I remember correctly from the layout map in Zaibach, there should be a stable somewhere nearby. It's a large one, so large that they won't miss eight horses until we are a good distance away."

"But, Dilandau-sama," Gatti questioned, "won't they be able to track us, even on horses?"

Dilandau pursed his lips, frowing.

~Van~

Suddenly his features lit up. His mouth twisted into the infamous grin he usually wore when he was about to char an object...or person...into cinders. An insane light shone in the albino's blood-red eyes.

"D-Dilandau-sama?" Viole asked hesitantly.

"Yes, they will be able to track us. Van will be able to track us. And he will come. Oh yes he will. And when he catches us, we will be waiting for him."

The Dragonslayers smiled slowly, digesting their lord's plan.

"Where shall we lead them to, my lord?" Gatti asked.

Dilandau grinned. "Fanelia."

"My lord!" Gaddess burst into the helm, breathing heavily, face pale.

Allen frowned. "What is it?"

"The prisoners...they're gone!"

"What?"

"And so is that little girl who came aboard!"

Allen's eyes narrowed. "What little girl?" he asked.

"There was a girl, about fifteen, I'd say, who approached the Crusade while it was being repaired on the battlefield. She was looking for her father. She said he'd been in the war, and she couldn't find him."

Allen's mind turned.

::A girl? There should be none on the battlefield. How did she get there? Unless...::

"Gaddess, what did she look like?"

Gaddess frowned slightly at the sudden urgency in his lord's voice.

"Oh, she was tall, slender, with short grey-ish hair and brilliant blue eyes. She had a standard banner wrapped around her. I think she was cold."

"Did she seem lost? Confused? As if she didn't know where she was?"

Gaddess thought. "I believe she did look a bit confused, my lord."

"Serena..." Allen breathed.

Gaddess looked up sharply. "Serena? Who...do you mean your sister, Boss? But, she's been missing for ten years!"

Allen barely seemed to hear his sergeant's words.

"Van? Where is Van?" Allen grabbed Gaddess by the collar.

"Whoa, Boss, take it easy! He's gone. I think he left in Escaflowne to follow the prisoners."

::Serena::

Allen released Gaddess roughly and fairly sprinted to the hangar.

::I must catch Van before it's too late!::

* * *

The ride to Fanelia was long and quiet. The eight travellers were engrossed in their own thoughts, Dilandau included. Dilandau was puzzled with himself. He knew that he wanted to kill Van more than anything at the moment.

~Or do I? Is his death really necessary?~

Dilandau supressed a shudder and the ghosts' whispering brought back the memory of his vision of the Angel of Death, himself. All that destruction and chaos was his fault. He no longer felt guilty, however. Those crimes were in a past life. He was reborn with a new chance, and had no intention of repeating his actions.

~But do I really want to taint my new life with the blood of yet another enemy?~

Dilandau bit his lip, frustrated. He hated Van with a passion. He knew that for certain. So why was he hesitating?

|If you are not happy now, Van's death will not make you so|

The familiar calm voice crept over his mind like a warm blanket. Mist swirled.

~Folken. How nice to hear from you again~ Dilandau thought wryly.

|You wish for revenge, don't you, Dilandau?|

~Brilliant observation, Strategos~

Silence.

Dilandau growled silently. ~Sorry, Strategos~

Folken's presense radiated amusement. An apology? From the cold, stony General of Zaibach? How interesting.

Dilandau fumed.

|Remember, Dilandau, you have faced and overcome your crimes. Van, however, has not yet faced his own|

~What are you saying, Strategos?~

|Van will continue to hunt you down. He has embraced his wrongdoings; he has 'shouldered the burden of war' as he once phrased it|

~...~

|Puzzle it out, Dilandau. How painful was it for you to see all the lives you had ruined?|

Dilandau's mind lit with the glimmerings of understanding.

~But Folken, how-~

|Ah, this part you would not know. Do you recall Hitomi Kanzaki?|

~That girl from the Phantom Moon?~

Folken's presense nodded. |She had a pendant, one made partially of drag-energist, and partially of a still-unknown substance. In her hands and in Van's it had the ability to bring on visions|

~Visions...~ Dilandau pondered this for a moment. ~But Folken, then I'd have to find the blasted girl, and I haven't got time for that!~

|She had returned to the Mystic Moon, where she belongs|

~Oh that's just peachy~

|When she felt the light pulling her out of Van's arms in the Fate Alteration Machine Control Center, she gave him something to remember him by|

~Should I care?~

|She gave him her pendant|

~...oh. And so I suppose the sentimental idiot has taken to wearing it, then?~

There was no response.

~Folken? FOLKEN! Why do you always disappear like that?~

But Dilandau smiled in spite of it. He now had his answer.

"My lord." Shesta's voice brought Dilandau back to the present.

"We have arrived."

Dilandau looked ahead. Down an uneven slope before him were the ruins of Fanelia. The once proud country's buildings were hollow and broken, the ground still black and dead. Here and there, however, the purple blooms of the fireweed plant poked around shattered columns and walls, assuring the return of life in the future.

Dilandau rode down through the ruins, memories of fire and shadow flashing through his mind. He shrugged them away as they came. His past life would not burden him. He had known nothing but pain then. But now, now was his second chance.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of what had once been the palace building. It was the only building in relatively good condition, taking into consideration the state that the rest of the country was in. Dilandau could still make out the Fanelian crest upon the broken doors.

~What a perfect place to settle this~ Dilandau grinned. The irony was almost too much.

"My lord! Look!" Migel pointed at the sky. Dilandau turned, knowing what he would find.

A single speck of light, too bright for a daytime star, shone from the direction of Asturia. It grew brighter.

"Come for me, Van. Come."


	5. Part Five: Aura

A JOURNEY OF FIRE AND SHADOW: PART FIVE by Feye Morgan

* * *

If you are near to the dark  
I will tell you 'bout the sun  
You are here, no escape  
From my visions of the world  
You will cry, all alone  
But it does not mean a thing to me.

~ "Aura" from the soundtrack of .Hack/SIGN

* * *

"Come for me, Van, come." Dilandau's words were spoken softly, but there was not a single Dragonslayer who did not hear them. His words chilled and exhilerated them all at once. Here it would be settled. Once and for all.

"Dragonslayers, you will all conceal yourselves in the surrounding rubble. Take your horses with you. I don't care where you hide, just as long as you can see without being seen. You will -not- interfere unless I say so. Now."

Silently, the soldiers melted away as if they had never been.

Dilandau permitted himself a small smile of satisfaction.

~I have trained them well. My faithful soldiers. My friends~

Dilandau turned his back to the approaching Dragon, and sat calmly down on the ground, his unsheathed katana in his lap. Dilandau closed his eyes, and listened. The wind picked up, ruffling his silvery hair, chilling his neck, as if it anticipated the struggle to come.

Dilandau steeled himself from turning when he heard the Dragon hit the ground. There was silence. The albino waited with gritted teeth for the telltale hiss of a cockpit being opened. But there was nothing. The only sound was of the wind.

~What the hell is he waiting for?~ Dilandau thought irritably, his nervousness increasing constantly. He could -feel- Fanel watching him, the hated cinnamon eyes boring into him.

~Does he suspect, I wonder? Does he recognize me?~ Dilandau had long removed the engineer's uniform (it had given him more protection than his sleeveless tunic, but the feel of -Asturian- clothing turned his stomach), and burned it. It had been too long since he had burned something, however small. The entrancing flames had breathed new life and hope into him.

But Dilandau Albatou would never again use fire to kill.

The Crusade uniform gone, Van would not connect the silver-haired boy with the worker on the ship. He might, however, connect him with someone else.

Dilandau dearly hoped that Van was absolutely positive that he was dead. Being discovered before he was ready would ruin his plan for retribution. Dilandau tightened his grip on the katana slightly. The polished metal traced small slits in his palms. The albino watched bright crimson beads of blood gather on the edges of the blade.

Still there was silence.

Dilandau was about to stand and confront Escaflowne, fed up with waiting, when he heard something else. The familiar sound of mechanical cranking and engine whirring reached his ears. An airship was approaching.

~Damn! Fanel was waiting for reinforcements! Yet again!~

Dilandau turned his head slightly to get a view of the new arrival. The airship was Asturian. It was small, about a quarter of the size of the Crusade. The airship was strangly decorated, almost like a royal transport. While Dilandau was pondering whether to run for it or stay for a fight, the airship landed, and its occupants spilled out. Guards armed with swords and polearms ran to surround the Escaflowne. Another group of guards, with more elaborate uniforms, stood protecting what was obviously nobility. Dilandau squinted against the sun to get a better look. His eyes went wide with recognition and confusion. One of the men was the dark-haired soldier with the green uniform who had greeted Dilandau as Serena. Standing close to him was the strange cat-girl who always accompanied Van, the widely-known merchant Dryden Fassa, Queen Millerna Aston, Prince Chid, and Princess Eires Aston.

~What the? Why on Gaea are -they- here? Can the Dragonslayers be that important?~ Dilandau clenched his hands tighter, drawing more blood. Something was definitely not right.

"VAN-SAMA!" The cat-girl screeched and torpedoed towards the white dragon. The long-awaited hiss greeted Dilandau's ears as Van opened his cockpit and jumped down.

"Merle!" Van's voice was leaden with disapproval. "Why are you here? I told you to stay in Palas!"

"But Van-sama-" Merle began. She was cut off by what sounded like a cuff to the head.

Dilandau raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. He doubted the king had ever hit his companion before. Van had changed, Dilandau realized. He had reverted completely to the person Dilandau had encountered on the battlefield when his Slayers had died. Dilandau smiled grimly. This Van definitely deserved to die. He had deserved to die before, but now his punishment was even more earned. Dilandau hit his slayers, but always with good reason. Any slip of theirs could result in their death in battle. But the cat-girl was not a soldier. Van had hit her merely out of annoyance. From somewhere deep inside, Dilandau thought he might even feel sorry for her. He knew what it was like to love someone more than life itself, and then to loose them. This though, must be even worse.

~The Van she knew is dead. He is a ghost haunting a shell. The Van I knew, the demon, has been revealed~

"Go back to the transport. Now."

Dilandau heard Merle's footsteps quietly shuffle away from her 'protector'. Dilandau shifted his attention to Princess Eires and King and Queen Dryden and Millerna Aston. Perhaps he would discover exactly why they had paid the ruins of Fanelia a visit. Apparently Van had the same question.

"Why are you here?" Van snapped, not bothering to be polite. Eires, nonplussed, answered coldly.

"When it became clear to us that the prisoners were headed for Fanelia, we deemed it appropriate that their execution take place here as well. They, after all, were responsible for its destruction. It is only fitting for their deaths to occur at the place of the crime.

~What? No trial? Just the execution? All right. NOW I'm mad~

"Hmm," Van seemed pleased with the idea. "And so naturally you had to be present. However, I thought you had been planning to make this a national event. After all, the people must be quite thirsty for the blood of the demons."

This time Queen Millerna answered. "I had, quite contrary to most presumptions, never planned for this to be a public execution. The war is over. Relishing in seven more casualties would be catering to our bloodlust, which is quite contrary to my immediate goal of promoting the peace."

"So," Dryden said cooly, "now that we have all agreed, let us not waste any more time. Where are the prisoners? I assume that you have found them already."

Van answered with gritted teeth. "I was about the begin the process of hunting them down when I noticed your airship approaching. I decided to wait before asking the stranger sitting over there if he had seen them."

And thus, all attention was diverted to Dilandau. The silver-haired boy heard footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Have you by any chance seen seven individuals, all with swords, lurking about here?" Van's voice came from directly behind him.

~He is such an idiot, just walking up to me like this~ Dilandau thought with disgust. How could Fanel be so blind? ~Oh well. It works for me~

Dilandau's hand clenched on the hilt of his katana. He stood, whipped around, and brought the tip of his sword to Van's throat, all in one smooth, fluid motion. He barely registered the started shouts and cries from the onlookers. His attention was fixed on his archenemy.

"Don't move. No one will draw a weapon or stray from their place unless I say so, or the brat dies." Dilandau's voice carried far in the desolate ruins.

Van was watching him in horror. His brown eyes were locked on Dilandau's ruby ones.

"Recognize me?" Dilandau asked wickedly, tilting his silvery head to one side.

"Dilandau. No. You're dead." Van's eyes were confused, disbelieving. The reality apparently had not sunk in yet.

"I was." Dilandau had no problem in announcing that he had come back to life. He knew that Van was not strong enough to escape the call of the Light of Hades. He himself would not have broken away had his Dragonslayers not been waiting for him.

Van stared at him, utterly confounded.

"What do you mean, you were?" Millerna's voice cracked sharply at him. Dilandau regarded her cooly.

~I will need some witnesses~

"You four, and you," Dilandau snapped, pointing at Eires, Millerna, Dryden, Gaddess, and Merle in turn, "come here." Dilandau motioned to a spot seven feet away from himself and Van. Dilandau growled when they hesitated. "Look, I'm not going to kill you. One, I don't want to, and two, I'd have to move my sword to do that. My weapon is very happy where it is at this brat's throat. I do, however, need reliable, important people to hear me out."

"If you're asking for a pardon, you won't get it," Dryden remarked wryly. "Even I couldn't put a price high enough for something like that. And Van, I thought you said you killed him."

Van was chalk-white, shocked to the core. What he was seeing was impossible. His eyes were huge and horror-striken. His limbs shook. He looked for all the world as if he had just been told that Gaea was about to explode in less than thirty seconds. It took him several moments before he could salvage enough water into his papery mouth to speak.

"I killed you. You bled and fell." Van's words were shaky and disjointed.

Dilandau smiled cruelly. "Yes, you killed me. No one could have survived the wound you gave me. So, I came back. Which brings me to my next point." The albino directed this last part towards his witnesses. "Seeing as I came back from the dead, this is my life number two. Everything I did in my past life was atoned for in my journey to this one. It is the same with my Dragonslayers...those that came back with me. Therefore, there will be no trial. There will be no execution." Dilandau looked at them expectantly, while watching Van through his peripheral vision.

"You actually expect us to believe that?" Eires sneered haughtily.

"No, in fact."

The witnesses blinked confusedly.

~Here goes everything~

"Which is why I have proof." He turned back to Van.

The raven-haired king's eyes were filled with rage and indignation. Reality had hit him full-force, and he was furious.

"How dare you," Van sputtered. Dilandau raised a silver eyebrow quizzically. "How -dare- you come back! I -killed- you! We ended it there, and now you-" Van sputtered, at a loss for words to describe his frustration. Abandoning speech, he knocked Dilandau's blade aside before the albino could react, and lunged for his enemy's throat. Dilandau tensed and dodged, ducking and flipping Van over his back. Quick as a flash, the king rolled to his feet and whipped out his katana in a deadly shriek of metal.

"No one interfere," the king growled, eyes glued to Dilandau's own. "Dilandau Albatou is mine."

~Damn. How am I going to get at his pendant now? Grrr...I'll have to disarm him. Why didn't I confiscate the brat's katana beforehand?~

Van lunged at the silver-haired boy. Dilandau parried his thrust, spun to the side, and attempted to paralyze Van's arm with the hilt of his blade. The albino cursed, barely escaping loosing his head. Van kicked Dilandau in the chest, knocking him flat on his back. With a triumphant yell, the king swung his blade down at Dilandau's throat. He rolled just in time, Van's katana sinking into the earth milliseconds later.

~Here's my chance!~ Dilandau grasped Van's wrist, pinching the nerves painfully. With a gasp of pain, the boy released his weapon. The albino kicked Van backwards, away from his sword. Ruby eyes flaming with hatred, Dilandau grasped the front of Van's shirt and pressed his blade against his throat. Their eyes locked for what seemed an eternity.

~Folken...~

Slowly, Dilandau drew back. He did not move his sword from its place, but his grip on Van lessened slightly.

"You all think I'm a monster," Dilandau said softly. His eyes never left Van's, but his words were for everyone to hear. "I was. But I was also not all that I seemed. If you still wish to punish me for my last life, then judge me for all that I was. You know my crimes. It is now time for you to know the other side."

Dilandau's fingers felt for the thin chain around Van's neck, a specific vision in mind. He lifted the golden links up, dangling the pendant for everyone to see.

"Nani? Put that down Dil-" Van began heatedly. But the blinding flash of brilliance that exploded from the crystal when Dilandau's fingers brushed it cut off his words. Everything within a ten-foot radius, including the 'witnesses', were engulfed in a warm, electric rose aura.

"Hitomi's pendant." Dilandau's voice echoed, ethereal, mystical, within the aura. "It has many powers, prediction being the least of them. Folken could tell you more, I believe, of the technical details, but this pretty stone has the power to reveal truth."

Everything outside the aura vanished to the sight of all within. There was nothing but the glow and the eerilly illuminated figuers bathed in it. All eyes were focused on Dilandau.

"You will now see the other side of my past life. Perhaps you will change your mind about me. Perhaps not. That is up to you. And you, Van, you will see the pain you have caused me. Me, and so many others. I have already done likewise, during the Path of Shadow, and have withstood. The question is, will you?"

Darkness engulfed the watchers. Outside, the seven figures looked frozen in time. Inside, Dilandau braced himself to face his past once more.

~Here it comes~

* * *

A small silver-haired boy of five years lay strapped to a metal table. The room was dark, illuminated only by the bright light glaring from the spotlight over the child. Darkly clad figures in concealing cloaks circled the table like fallen priests celebrating a warped ritual. The little boy stirred slightly and opened his eyes for the first time. He blinked confusedly.

"It wakes."

"The experiment was a success."

"Its memory has been erased."

"It will need to begin its training immediately."

"Where am I?" the boy's voice was lost and frightened. His red eyes were bright with tears of fear.

"It speaks." One of the madoushi bent over the child. "It is scared of us."

"Weakness is not acceptable. It must be the perfect soldier."

"It will learn."

"What shall its name be?"

"It may choose its own name. We have no use for one. Its number is sufficient for our purposes."

The cold, emotionless voices caused the child to shiver. "Let me go!" He began to struggle wildly, an irrational wave of fear drowning him in hysterics. Swiftly, one of the madoushi bent down and stuck a thin needle into the child's arm. He swiftly and mercifully passed into unconsciousness.

* * *

~I had forgotten that day. It seems so long ago. The madoushi...~ Dilandau shuddered involuntarily, and the next vision engulfed him.

* * *

A general now long dead stood before a slightly older version of the previous boy. His lips were curled in distaste. He obviously was insulted that he was chosen to teach such a neophyte, when there were so many other, more important, tasks in which he could be engaging himself. But who was he to question Dornkirk-sama?

"You are pathetic," he snarled cruelly. The man began to circle the boy. "I've seen children younger than you able to wield a sword ten times more adequately, Dilandau."

Dilandau hung his head, eyes on the floor. Immediately upon doing so, the general lunged forward and slapped the child, knocking him to the floor.

"You will stand up straight and look me in the eyes when I am reprimanding you, understood?"

Dilandau rose shakily, and met his teacher's eyes. "Yes my lord."

"I will not tolerate weakness. I will not tolerate mistakes. Any slip will be punished severely, and you will take those punishments without complaint. One small mistake in battle will mean your life. One scar is a sign of failure. Especially if you are cut on the face. You must be perfect. I will not accept anything less. Do you understand?"

Dilandau straightened in attention. "Yes my lord."

"Good. Now, again."

* * *

~My old teacher~ Dilandau thought. ~He was the type of commander I wanted to be. I pushed my boys to the limit, and yet still they died...~

Another vision came...

* * *

A ten-year old Dilandau crept through the darkened halls of the Vione after curfew. He was clad in his night-clothes; a simple pale green cotton tunic and pants. In his hands he held not a katana, but something smaller and unidentifiable in the darkness. In his other hand he clutched several sheets of paper. Dilandau slipped past guards on night-watch, avoiding making any sound, until he came to a solitary enclosed catwalk. The boy shivered, the night wind ruffling his silvery hair. The full moon glowed brightly, effectively illuminating the child. He walked over to the railing and sat, leaning his back against the bars. He arranged the papers on his lap. Smiling, he lifted the object in his hands.

It was an instrument, not unlike a flute, but simpler and plainer. Dilandau had purchased in in secret one day in the market, when he had managed to slip away from his master. He was beaten horribly for 'wandering off' afterwards, but the instrument had been worth the pain.

Lips parted in a beatific smile, Dilandau raised the pipe to his lips and began to blow. A sad, lonely tune peirced the silence as Dilandau played his heart out. The music flowed perfectly, taking the small child away from his harsh existance. He was so lost in the music that he did not hear the sound of approaching footsteps until the door opened and it was too late. Startled, the tune broke off awkwardly. Dilandau stared at his master in horror. Silently, the general walked up to Dilandau and hauled him to his feet. The child attempted to hide the sheets of music, but his master was too quick. He snatched the papers and tore them to shreds before the boy's striken eyes. The tattered slips fell over the railing and into oblivion.

Dilandau's master held out his hand, eyes on the pipe.

Dilandau clutched the instrument to his chest and shook his head furiously, knuckles white. His eyes were huge with fear and desperation. But it was to no avail. The man tore the instrument from Dilandau's grip and snapped it in twain over his knee. Carelessly, he tossed the pieces over the side of the Vione.

"Come with me," he ordered.

Dilandau just stood there, looking in shock at his master. Furious, the general hit Dilandau, sending him sprawling on the floor. The child's body shook with sobs. His ruby eyes glistened with tears of loss. The general stared at him with disgust. After a moment, he grabbed the albino's wrist, yanked him to his feet, and strode out the door, not caring that Dilandau was half-running, half being drug behind him.

Dilandau's cries could be heard in the enclosure long after the two had departed.

* * *

~My flute~ Dilandau thought sadly. Tears glimmered in his eyes. His heart ached from the pain the vision had inflicted. But there was more to come. The snapping of his beloved instrument had not been the end of the matter...

* * *

Dilandau was once again strapped to the same metal table, the dark priests surrounding him. Strange tubes were inserted in the boy's arms, pumping some strange liquid into his system. The madoushi conversed amid the background of Dilandau's screams of sheer terror.

"Music? How is that possible?"

"It is a soldier. It has no need for music." There was a mixture of contempt and confusion in the fallen priest's voice.

"The experiment was faulty. He must be altered again. Harden his mind."

"Altering fate!"

"Altering fate!"

The chant echoed like a chorus of doom. No one paid heed to the small boy's pleads of terror.

"No! Let me go! Stop! Stop! Help me, someone! HELP ME!" All words were lost in an endless shriek of agony as the madoushi began their experiment.

* * *

Dilandau's heart pounded. ~Oh gods. I hate the madoushi. I hate them so much! Why must everyone hurt me?~

The seven people watched as Dilandau was promoted to be captain of an elite force, the Dragonslayers. They watched when he met the fifteen boys for the first time, as they became close friends, joking and playing games while on leave, and as Dilandau trained them harder and harder, pushing them as far as they could go. He punished them harshly for any mistake. But if any watcher thought for a moment that he was being cruel, all they had to do was look at Dilandau's eyes to see the worry and concern behind them. Dilandau's fondness for his Dragonslayers grew. He reached the age of fifteen, and Van entered his life.

Dilandau swung at the young king, face twisted in fury. Some of his thoughts became audible to the watchers.

~How dare he! He set me up! He -knew- that blasted 'melef would react like that! I'll make him pay for hurting me!~

Dilandau's mind was in turmoil. To him, there was one goal: he had to recapture Van. But there was no reason not to have a little fun whilst doing so...make him pay...

Searing pain. His face...his perfect face...why did it hurt so? Crimson liquid splashed the floor, staining feathery white locks of hair. Dilandau held his cheek, bent almost double in shock.

"M-my face. You cut my beautiful face..."

~I failed. I've been scarred. I'm not perfect. I'm a...a failure...~

Dilandau realized how wrong he'd been. Surely, the act made him furious. He was still quite proud of his looks. That would never change. But Van -had- been acting in self-defense. It's what Van did later that made him so bitter now.

Dilandau watched stoically as the next vision appeared. It was one he had faced before, during the Trials, but it was still one of a series he had been dreading the most.

His Dragonslayers were dying. Again. Only this time, the vision included not only Dilandau's terror and grief, not only the agonized screams of the perishing boys, but Van's joy. The euphoria radiating through the king's expression as he mercilessly slaughtered the Dragonslayers was horrific. He enjoyed fighting as much, maybe even more, than Dilandau had. Dilandau swallowed hard, and prepared himself for the following visions.

"You were all incompetants," Dilandau said, voice leaden. He was standing in his armor on the same catwalk on which he had played music so beautifully five years ago. "Guimel, Shesta, Gatti, Dalet, Viole. What glory is there in dying in a fight like that?"

~They're gone. All of them. Gone. It's my fault. I was scarred. That means I'm a failure. I failed them. I killed them all. Curse you Fanelia! Damn you! Now I'm all...alone...~

The pain in the albino's eyes was overwhelming.

"Alone..." Dilandau fell to his knees, breathing heavily. He clutched his mouth as if he might be sick, and then crumpled in a dead faint.

The next vision came swiftly, leaving no time for thought.

"SHESTA!" Dilandau screamed in panic. He had just awoken, and his worst fears were realized. He was strapped to the hated metal table once again. Years of fear and agony raced through him. Dilandau did not remember that his Dragonslayers were dead. All that his panicked mind could summon was the fact that he was in danger.

"GATTI! DALET! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"It has become unstable."

"Again. We shall have to redo the experiment once more."

"We shall be more thorough this time around. Prepare the subject."

One of the madoushi measured liquid in a syringe. The needle squirted excess fluid into the air. Dilandau's terror-striken eyes watched the crystal droplets fall.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOO!"

Every single pain caused by Van was revealed to the watchers. The torture he had endured, the unspeakable emptiness of loss, the creeping feeling of failure and inadequacy. The only way to escape was to kill Van. He must avenge their deaths. He must prove that his life was not wasted. He must destroy the demon...for them.

The watchers witnessed Dilandau's death. The despair in Dilandau's eyes was terrible, but even more disturbing was the look in Van's eyes. Hitomi's loss had hit him hard. He had become a creature of battle, a shoulder to war. It was evident in the look of glee in the king's expression as he watched Dilandau sink to the ground.

Dilandau was surprised when the visions went on to show his journey and redemption in the Path of Shadow. He looked on calmly as he saw himself overcome his crimes and his doubts to be enbraced by a saving pillar of light, carrying him away.

~Now, will Van be able to do the same?~

The visions switched focus. Instead of following Dilandau's life, they turned to Van. It started with a couple petty, foolish choices. The aura quickly skipped to the vision of the Dragonslayers' deaths. It flashed again and again the look of bloodlust etched on his features.

Van raised his sword high, towering in the Escaflowne.

"If Gaea cannot be saved from war, then I will herald it. I will be the rhythm of war. I will carry the burden of war."

From there on, it went downhill for the boy-king of Fanelia. He became a demon, only barely held in check by Hitomi. Even she became disgusted by his thirst for bloodshed and left briefly for the Mystic Moon.

The last battle was horrific. Van cut down his enemies mercilessly, barely giving them a chance to defend themselves. But such was war. So had Dilandau done. But Dilandau's variables were not all set. He had not had complete freedom. The madoushi hovered always in the background.

Dilandau watched Van's feautes carefully inbetween visions. His expression was hard to read.

~Do you feel remorse, Van? You should~

On it went, through Dilandau's death, through the determined vow to wipe off the face of Gaea any traces of the Zaibach empire, even through his slapping of Merle.

Then, suddenly, the visions stopped. The pendant's glow faded, and the rose aura vanished.

Daylight streamed through, and the watchers blinked as their normal vision returned. Dilandau found himself still clutching Van's shirt, sword at his throat. The albino stepped back, and waited.

Van was pale as death. His cinnamon eyes had lost their color and his limbs were shaking from the exhertion the visions had placed on him. Slowly, Van met Dilandau's eyes.

"I hate you."

Dilandau's expression was stoic. There was no telling by the others exactly what he was thinking.

~I knew he wouldn't make it~

Suddenly Van stiffened, and crumpled to the ground.

"VAN-SAMA!" Merle shrieked. Freed from the vision, she leaped over by the fallen king's body and shook him.

"Van-sama! Wake up!"

But it was no use. Van Fanel was dead.


	6. Part Six

_For clarification:  
No one has brought this up; I just thought of it. The timeline at the end of the series was kind of...distorted in my version. Van flies to Dornkirk to save Hitomi before he confronts Dilandau on the battlefield. So: van saves Hitomi, the magic eight ball breaks, and Hitomi disappears in Van's arms on the spot, after hurriedly giving him the pendant. Van, shocked and embittered, is stupid and reverts to the snobbish brat we know from episode one, only now he is consumed with bloodlust on the battlefield. OK? This is a what-if Van version. I really don't have the heart to kill the Van from the series. I hate him, but not enough to kill him. After all, he does have his good points...*grumble grumble*. THIS Van, however, is the arrogant, bloodthirsty Van he would have become if Hitomi had never shown up. Now, what he goes through in the aura is much like what Dilandau went through in the paths of the dead. The reason Dilandau made it and Van didn't is because Van simply isn't as strong as Dilandau. They both went through many hardships, but Dilandau takes the cake in my opinion. Plus, Dilandau has his Dragonslayers to help him. He would have faded if not for him. The question is raised in this chapter of what if Van had had someone to help him during the aura trial. And no, Merle doesn't count. He loves her, but she wasn't able to prevent him from turning into a complete creepazoid. Even Hitomi couldn't completely purge him of that. *Feye recalls the incident in Ep. 14 when Van throws Hitomi to the ground when she begs him not to use Escaflowne* Grrr... Poor Hitomi. So. Yes. There's my long explanation. Go me. *laughs nervously* _

_Disclaimer: Yes, I own Escaflowne. A little spoon just sold me the rights. *laughs like a maniac* Actually, no, I don't. I lied._

JOURNEY OF FIRE AND SHADOW: PART SIX by Feye Morgan

Van Fanel was dead.

Instead of feeling elated, Dilandau simply felt relieved, as if a great weight had been removed from his shoulders, and he could finally walk upright. He gazed down at the fallen king, and in his eyes there was no longer hatred.

~Goodbye, Van Fanel~

Dryden cleared his throat.

~Here it comes. Good or bad, I wonder?~

Dilandau turned toward the small group of nobles. His posture and expression mirrored the calm inside.

"I await your descision," Dilandau said clearly. "Do we live or do we die...again?"

Eires frowned slightly, as if battling herself. Dryden too seemed unsure. Millerna, on the other hand, had made up her mind quickly.

"As Queen of Asturia, I have the power to pardon your crimes. I would do so, but for one noticeable fact." Here she paused. Dilandau tensed slightly, wondering if he would need to call his Dragonslayers out. He eyed the Queen warily.

Millerna smiled. "Your crimes seem to have been erased. You are, as you have told us, in your second life, and therefore all that you have previously done is no longer applicable. I therefore cancel the execution and offer you asylum in Asturia. I have no reason to doubt Hitomi's pendant, and the visions seemed to me in no way fabricated. Not that I would know, but I believe my feelings are shared by those who saw them with me, is that not correct?" Millerna looked to her companions.

Slowly, Dryden nodded. Chid, Gaddess and (after some hesitation) Eires smiled their agreement

"NO!"

All heads turned to where Van lay motionless. Merle stood there, tears streaming down her cheeks. She glared defiantly up at Dilandau. Her eyes were filled with pain and hatred.

"You killed VAN-SAMA! I HATE you! I HATE you!" Snarling, she launched herself at the albino. Dilandau grasped her wrists to prevent her from scratching him up. Merle resorted to kicking and biting, her loss twisting her to frantic desperation. Dilandau gritted his teeth, determined not to hurt her. The albino wished he hadn't left his armor on the battlefield.

~I would definitely be justified in self-defense, but now is not the time~ Dilandau thought, seeing Millerna and Dryden out of the corner of his eye. He held back a sigh of relief as Gaddess grabbed Merle from behind, pinioning her arms to her sides. Merle struggled futilly, and then burst into tears. Hugging the distraught cat-girl, Gaddess carried her to the airship. One of Gaddess' men picked up Van's inert form and followed.

Dilandau felt a slight pang of remorse. He furrowed his brow in puzzlement.

~I feel bad for the cat-girl? Yes, I suppose I do~

Was Merle as close to Van as Dilandau was to his Dragonslayers? In that case, was he wrong to kill Van?

~No~ Dilandau corrected himself. ~I did not kill Van. He failed the test. The aura killed him. He wasn't strong enough to hold up. I wonder...I wonder if the departure of that girl had anything to do with it. If she was still here, would he have survived? There was something between them. Even I was able to see that~

Dilandau decided he would have to ponder the issue further at some later time. He turned back to Millerna.

"So, are we free then?"

The Queen nodded graciously.

Dilandau smiled. "Everybody out!"

The Dragonslayers appeared from their hiding places and rushed to form a line in front of Dilandau. Dilandau grinned at the expression on Eires's face.

"You are no longer Dragonslayers, so I will not require you to stand at attention before me."

They stared at him increduliously.

"The Dragon is dead. We have new lives now. I am no longer your commander."

"Yes, Dilandau-sama," they choroused.

~They'll learn, eventually~

"Well," Millerna said, trying to hide a smile. Eires was staring in disbelief at the former Dragonslayers. "I believe we have no further business here. Dilandau, you and your friends are welcome to accompany us back to Palas, if that is where you wish to go."

"We will go wherever you do, Dilandau-sama." Gatti spoke for all of them.

Dilandau nodded. He had known they would. "We will go to Palas."

A far off sound of thunder caused the crowd to turn.

~Thunder? There is not a cloud in the sky. That is the sound of an approaching guymelef~

Dilandau sighed. He might as well wait for the newcomer. He was no longer in any danger.

Scherezade burst into view, charging at full speed directly for Dilandau. The albino's eyes grew huge, and he back-pedaled furiously away, his ex-slayers instinctively keeping in front of him protectively.

~Wait! Why is he trying to kill me?~ Dilandau thought confusedly. He held his katana in front of him, determined to put up a fight, even though he knew that he was as good as dead if Allen should choose to strike at him.

Scherezade placed itself between Dilandau and the Asturian soldiers.

"Stop! I won't let you harm him!" Allen's voice was directed at the crowd.

"Allen-" Millerna began. But Allen, panicky, cut her off.

"You won't solve Gaea's problems by killing Dilandau!"

"Allen!"

"You'll have to go through me first!"

"ALLEN!"

"Stop! Dilandau is my sister!"

Dead silence.

~Oh...my...god...~ Dilandau hid his hands in his face and mentally strung Schezar up...repeatedly.

~You -idiot- Schezar! I'll...I'll cut off all your hair, damn you!~

When he finally uncovered his eyes, no one had moved. Millerna, Dryden, Eires, and Chid all wore expressions of complete shock mixed with worry.

"A-Allen," Millerna started. "First of all, Dilandau is safe. Second of all...have you gone mad?"

"Serena is safe?" Allen asked.

"Dilandau," Eires stressed the name, "has been given sanctuary in Asturia, by order of Queen Millerna.

"Praise the gods," Allen sighed with relief. The cockpit opened with a hiss, and Dilandau saw the blonde knight jump to the ground. He turned to face Dilandau, a smile of relief and apprehension plastered to his face.

"Let me handle him," Dilandau muttered to his friends. Dutifully, they stepped to the side, still ready to jump in should their leader (for they still viewed him as such) be in any trouble.

"Serena?" Allen asked. "Do you remember me? It's all right to turn back. Come back, Serena."

"Oh shut up, Schezar. Yes I remember Serena; yes I remember you."

Allen halted, confused.

"Let me guess. You believe that your dear precious innocent sweet sister is trapped within me somewhere, right?"

Allen nodded cautiously.

"Surprise. I -am- Serena. I -am- Dilandau. We are one person. You fought Serena on top of the Crusade; you bartered with her over supplies. That was me, and thus that was her. We are inseperable. Get over it."

"Dilandau? Are you saying that he's right?" Chid's was incredulous.

"Yes. I was kidnapped by the Zaibach madoushi. The first vision you saw was the result of their experiment with me. I was changed from a blonde girl to a silver boy. That, and the memory loss, however, was the -only- change that occurred. They did not create a separate person."

Allen shook his head. "I will not believe that. Sweet Serena is not capable of the atrocities you have commited. I will have her back." Allen's voice took on menacing overtones.

"And what are you going to do, Schezar? Threaten me? Give me a break. Let's go, men." Dilandau began to walk over to Millerna's small group. As he passed Allen, the knight's face contorted, and he lunged at Dilandau. The albino found his wrists held in a vice-like grip, Allen bending down to look him in the eyes.

"Let her go," Allen growled.

Dilandau just watched Allen calmly.

~He won't do anything. He can't. Not without hurting his'precious sister'~

"Allen!" Millerna's voice was sharp. "You will release him this instant." The tone in her voice made it clear that the order was from a Queen, not a friend, and was not open to discussion.

Slowly, Allen loosened his grip on Dilandau. The albino wrenched free and continued to walk away with his friends.

"What about Van? He will never leave you in peace. Turn back, and you won't have to worry about him any longer!" Allen simply couldn't give up.

"Van is dead," Dilandau replied without slowing. He reached Millerna, made the courtesy bow required, and turned around.

Allen stared at the former soldier. "Y-you killed him?"

"No," Dryden answered. "He did not. Van was confronted with visions of Dilandau's past and of Van's own crimes. He was unable to overcome his hatred for Dilandau, and was killed by the stress from the visions."

"Visions?" Allen was in a daze.

Millerna smiled kindly. "You've had a trying day. Why don't you come with us on the aiship back to Palas? You can rest on the way. I promise you that everything will be explained to you later. I will have someone take care of your guymelef."

Allen nodded vaguely, and allowed himself to be guided by Eires, along with the rest of the small group and the royal guards, to the small airship.

The flight to Palas was short; no longer than an hour and a half. The former Dragonslayers took advantage of the time to sleep. They were completely worn out. Dilandau himself did not realize how tired he was until they had taken off. But he did not allow himself to sleep yet. The albino sat next to Queen Millerna, and asked the foremost question on his mind.

"Queen Millerna, exactly what do I do now?"

She regarded him for a few moments before answering. "That, I believe, is entirely up to you, Dilandau."

Dilandau stared at her. "I can...I can do what I want?"

"Within limits, of course," she smiled. "You are really on a sort of probation. The people will most likely not take kindly to your being granted asylum, but I am Queen, and they trust me enough to abide by my decision without too much complaint. Mostly, they, and especially the nobles, will monitor your behavior closely. You will be expected to attend court functions, as you are a member of the Schezar family." She shook her golden curls in amazement. "I still cannot believe all of that is true." She looked at Dilandau. "Are you really Serena?"

Dilandau nodded. "I am."

Her eyes probed his for several moments, looking for any hint of deciet. She found none.

"I think I can almost see her in you."

"Not in me, Lady. We are one."

"Yes, yes, that is what I mean," she said absently, still studying him. Dilandau shifted in his seat slightly. Such close crutiny made him nervous. Millerna noticed, and looked away.

"As long as you don't destroy anything or cause any fights, you will be perfectly fine. I would keep in public, though. The citizens will become suspicious if you hide from view. They will need to see that you are no longer a threat."

Dilandau nodded in agreement.

"While we are on the subject, what do you plan to do? Knowing your past life, I expect you will not just sit around. Will you become a soldier again?"

Dilandau shook his head slowly. "No. I left that way of life behind me when I walked the paths of the dead. I feel no desire to return."

Millerna nodded understandingly. "So what then? Have you thought much on it?"

Dilandau was silent for some time.

~I could do something with fire, maybe... Cooking, perhaps? No. That wouldn't do. The first time I cooked Folken banned me from the kitchen, saying that my excuse for food wouldn't suit a ravenous dragon. Hrmph. Politics, maybe? No...~

For some reason, Dilandau found his mind wandering inexorably back to the dark night upon the catwalk five years ago, when he had lost himself in a small, thin instrument. He found, to his mild surprise, that that was all he really wanted to do with his life. Music. It was the escape, the comfort he had lacked in his past life.

~Perhaps I could write, too. Yes, just play and write. That sounds like a nice change~

"Are there any positions open for musicians?" Dilandau asked finally.

Millerna looked at him with surprise, until she too remembered the vision.

"Yes, there are. Although doubtless you would like to practice beforehand. I know someone who would be very adept at teaching you."

Dilandau cocked his head to the side curiously. "Who?"

"Eires-hime."

Dilandau raised a silvery eyebrow. "Eires? She hates me."

"No, she doesn't hate you. She is just having trouble becoming accustomed to the change. Besides, this would allow her to get to know you better."

"I don't know if I really want that, but I accept, if she is willing to teach me."

"Good. Now we have that settled."

Dilandau smiled slightly. "She hasn't even agreed yet."

"Oh yes she has. She may be my elder sister, but she will agree. I'll see to it that she does."

Dilandau was pleasantly surprised at this new side to Millerna.

~The mischievous little sister? I never saw it in her. How interesting~

"One week from now there will be a formal court ceremony in memory of King Van Fanel and also in celebration of the close of the Destiny War. You will be expected to attend."

"You're combining a celebration and a funeral? That's tacky."

"The formal funeral will take place later. It remains to be decided who will reign over Fanelia, and that takes time."

A glimmer of an idea hit Dilandau. He bent over and whispered something into Millerna's ear. Her expression went from startled to contemplative in a matter of seconds.

"Hmmm. Do you think she could?" Millerna asked curiously.

"I have no idea. I'd only actually met her today, and briefly at that, but considering her experiences, I think she would do a fine job."

"I will consider it. Don't tell her yet."

"Wouldn't dream of it, " Dilandau scoffed.

The albino, run out of topics to discuss, leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. The hum of the motor was oddly soothing.

~So tired...~

Dilandau drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


	7. Part Seven

JOURNEY OF FIRE AND SHADOW: PART SEVEN by Feye Morgan

Dilandau woke with a start as the airship landed somewhat ungracefully at Palas.

~Hrmph. Apparently the pilot has lost his touch~ the silver haired boy thought disapprovingly. Had any of -his- men handled a machine so clumsily, he would have...but that was in the past.

~It is so hard to break old habits~ he thought. But Dilandau knew he was changing. So far he had been quite civil to everyone.

"Come with me, Dilandau," Millerna said as she rose gracefully from her seat. Dilandau clenched his teeth, but maintained a smooth expression. He was not used to being ordered around. But then, he had accepted the Queen's conditions without any qualms only a couple hours before.

~Reconciling two completely different lives is going to be a strain~ the ex-soldier thought, walking beside the Queen.

"Dilandau-sama!" The happy cry reached Dilandau's ears from behind. He turned his head slightly to see Shesta and his friends running towards their former commander. Dilandau permitted himself a tiny smile.

The Dragonslayers walked behind Dilandau and the Queen in silence until they had exited the airship. The albino was suriprised: he had expected a crowd to be waiting for them, what with the passengers being royalty. But the pilot had chosen to land inside the palace grounds. As a result, only a small contingent of soldiers had gathered to receive them. Dilandau grinned inwardly at the expressions on their faces once they recognized the silver-haired boy standing next to their Queen.

"My lady!" one cried in apprehension, and drew his sword. Numerous similar hisses of metal followed as the rest of the ex-Dragonsalyers came into view.

"At ease," the Queen ordered sharply. "I am not being held captive or any such thing. Dilandau Albatou and his men have been granted assylum due to rather unusual circumstances. These circumstances shall be explained in a public address at a later date." Dryden joined Millerna, and the small group descended to the palace grounds. "My first concern is to arrange accomodations for our guests. Captain, you will find eight suitable guest rooms, preferably close to one another and removed from main activity. I'm sure they would all like to rest undisturbed?"

Millerna directed this last sentence at Dilandau, looking for confimation. The albino inclined his head courteously. "That would be preferable, Lady."

The Queen nodded at the Cpatiain, who bowed obediently, and left. The rest of the soldiers formed guard position around the group and escorted the royal couple to the palace. _(AN: in my version, Dryden never left Millerna. I think he deserves her more than Allen does. There's a definite, if fine, line between love and infatuation, and guess who I think has which? Just my opinion.)_

Dilandau absorbed the sights around him avidly. Dornkirk had never been ostentatious: the capitol buildings of the empire were plain and unadorned. Dilandau, who had grown up in the Vione fortress, had only heard of the richly adorned palace of Asturia. The gold decorations and marble statues filled him with a fascination that was a combination of wonder and disgust. The wonder came from the musician, the disgust from the soldier. _(AN: I cannot remember for the life of me what the palace looks like. So I'm improvising. It's my fic! I can do that! Author's liberties! ^_^)_

Now that the shock of recent events had subsided somewhat with the snatch of sleep Dilandau had taken, his two conflicting lives were beginning to irritate him. There were many parts of his former life that he did not wish to give up. His remarkable skill with a katana was something that he was very proud of. He had no intention of letting his discipline fall lax.

~But how can I keep that part of me without also retaining my many...vices...?~

Dilandau pushed the thought away. He had plenty of time to deal with his problems. At the moment, however, he needed rest. The two hours of sleep he'd gotten on the airship had only further reminded him of how exhausted he was. Exhaustion deprives one of his alertness, and Dilandau knew he could not afford to make any mistakes.

"Dilandau," Millerna's voice broke through his thoughts. "The captain will escort you and your men to your rooms. The day grows late, so I will not trouble you any more today. Tomorrow at eight in the morning a guard will bring you all to me so that I may impart to your men what I have already told you. Hopefully by then I will have more of the finer details worked out. Until then, Dilandau." Millerna inclined her head gracefully. Dilandau bowed according to courtesy, and the Queen departed.

"What was that about, Dilandau-sama?" Gatti asked the silver-haired boy.

"We will be summoned to the Queen's presense at eight o'clock in the morning tomorrow. So don't make any plans for then, and be ready."

The former Slayers nodded dutifully.

"If you will follow me," the Captain said. Dilandau nodded. He could see the apprehension in the soldier's eyes, watching his every move.

~Earning the citizens' trust will be difficult. More likely than not I will never earn it~

Dilandau's eyes wandered over the elaborate decorations as he followed the Captain down the hallway.

His room was simple compared to many in the palace, but Dilandau had never been given accomodations so luxurious. He had his own washroom and shower, a finely constructed writing desk, a small couch even, and a lampdesk. Beatutiful paintings of the Asturian countryside adorned the walls. But what captured the majority of Dilandau's attention was the bed. It was rather large and covered with what looked suspiciously like silk sheets. Part of him felt awkward in the midst of such finery, having been quartered in the Vionne barracks his whole past life, but the other, more exhausted part of him, didn't care.

The tired albino slipped his tiara from his head and laid it on the lampstand. He unbelted his katana and slipped the weapon beneath his bed. Without bothering to remove any of his clothing, he collapsed on the sheets and buried his head in the pillow. Before another thought could pass through his mind, he fell to sleep.

The Dragonslayers were just as tired as their former lord. They loitered in the hallways around their rooms to talk before going to sleep. Their excitement and puzzlement defied exhaustion for the moment.

"What do you make of it all?" Guimel asked, fighting off a yawn.

Refina shrugged, dazed by the day's events. "So much has happened. I really can't make sense of it," she replied quietly.

"We all need sleep," Gatti mumbled. Everyone nodded in agreement, but no one moved to retire to bed. The seven friends just stood there, half awake, half lost in a misty dream.

"What are we going to do?" Migel asked. His words were cold water in the face of confusion.

The friends stood uncomfortably in silence. All any of them had ever known for most of their lives was war.

Or was that really true?

The ex-soldiers smiled one by one as each recalled fond memories of their past lives, memories of those whose wishes had raised them back to the light.

Without any further words, the seven smiled, and melted away to rest their tired hearts.

Dilandau woke, his senses on high alert. He lay motionless on the bed, to all appearences fast asleep, but his muscles were tight and quivering. There had been more than one attempt on his life outside of the fury of the battlefield, and the albino had quickly toned his senses to be responsive to even the slightest suspicious noise, even while in the deepest of dreams.

Dilandau waited. Not another sound came, but he was certain someone was there. His face was turned away from the door. Ruby eyes opened slightly, enough to catch the light of Gaea's two moons streaming through the window.

Quick as a wink, Dilandau was out of bed and crouched with his back to the window, letting the light illuminate all but the darkest corners in front of him. His heart pounding, he searched the room with darting eyes.

"Who's there?" he hissed.

~Not that I'm expecting an answer...~

Dilandau frowned. Several minutes passed without a single sound or hint of motion. The albino relazed slightly.

~Maybe I'm just paranoid. Or maybe it was Folken checking up on me without telling. I hate it when he pops into my mind without so much as a by-your-leave. Grrrr...~

Dilandau took two steps away from the window.

~Maybe it was one of my Dragonslayers...ex-Dragonslayers...~

Still cautious, the albino approached the door and opened it a crack, peering out with sharp crimson eyes.

Nothing.

Sighing, Dilandau closed the door and turned to slip back into bed.

A gloved hand muffled his startled cry as his assailant pressed up behind him and held a sharp dagger to his throat.

Dilandau froze.

~Damn. Dilandau, you baka!~

His eyes caught a gleam of something yellow. The albino frowned, and then winced as his attacker applied pressure on the blade. The hand moved from his mouth to pin his arms to his sides. The shift in movement allowed some moonlight to hit the two figures. The yellow substance, Dilandau realized, was a lock of long blonde hair.

"Schezar," the albino whispered.

"Give me back my sister," Allen growled menacingly.

"Or what? Or you'll kill me?" Dilandau's voice, while no louder than a breath, still contained his customary scrcasm and distain.

Allen's arms stiffened, and Dilandau pressed back, attempting to avoid the now dangerously trembling knife.

"No. I'll take you to the madoushi."

Dilandau stopped breathing. His mind filled with a haze of panic.

~Madoushi~

Memories of agony and terror flashed through the horrified boy's mind. Without even knowing what he was doing, Dilandau began to struggle frantically. Allen, startled and afraid of accidentally harming 'Serena', withdrew the knife from the albino's throat. Dilandau saw his chance, and took it. He disarmed the knight with a quick chop to the wrist. He elbowed Allen in the ribs, dug his heel into his instep, and twisted away. Schezar bent almost double, fighting the pain. The terrified boy siezed the moment and scooped his katana from beneath his bed. The steely blade sliced through the silence as it was drawn.

Allen looked up at him through a sheet of golden hair. Their eyes met.

"Serena. Come back. You can overcome him! I know you can!" The knight's voice rose to a yell, making Dilandau wince in spite of himself.

Dilandau walked forward, confidence restored with the familiar smooth hilt in his grasp, and slapped the knight as hard as he could. Caught unprepared for the blow, Allen toppled backwards onto his rear.

"For the last time, I -am- Serena. You are looking at your sister right now. There is no 'other person' hidden inside of me." Dilandau searched his opponent's eyes.

Allen did not believe him.

"Get out." The albino's voice was quivering with fury.

Furious and humiliated, the Caeli knight left, his dark looks promising that this was not the end of the matter.

Dilandau stared at the door long after the blonde had departed.

~What am I going to do about him? He'll never leave me any peace~

And Allen was just one out of thousands he had to convince.

~This can wait until morning~ he thought stubbornly. Grumbling about rude people interrupting long-needed rest, Dilandau laid back in the soft sheets.

It was several long minutes before he could fall asleep again.

A much more well rested Dilandau Albatou walked behind the Captain with his ex-Slayers beside him at eight o'clock the next morning. All were considerably more dressed; the palace maids had left soft linen tunics with a pair of pants, a belt, and a sleeveless cotton overshirt at each of their doors. Dilandau's were in a nice forest green and ebon colour combination.

~Not my favourite colours, but they work~

Millerna Aston was dressed as elegantly as usual, standing welcomingly in the virtually empty palace ballroom. Dilandau ran his eyes quickly over the intricate carvings and tapestries before bowing with his companions to the Queen.

"I hope you all slept well?" she asked with a smile, her eyes running over all of them in turn, but lingering on Dilandau for an instant longer than anyone else.

~Does she know?~ Dilandau wondered. All of his studies on the royalty of Zaibach's enemies had never divulged anything close to Millerna's personality. He had always assumed, from his readings on her, that she was a somewhat precocious girl, but overall an easily manipulated, shallow brat. Quite obviously, he had seriously misjudged her.

Millerna told the ex-Dragonslayers all she had told Dilandau on the airship about the current situation. They nodded, accepting her words without question. If Dilandau was ok with it, so were they.

"I have talked with my advisors, and as much as they didn't like it, they were forced to agree with me. I am certain that my decree will be accepted, if grudgingly, with the rest of the nobility. I am not concerned with the rest of the citizens. They trust me enough. However," Millerna fixed the group with a stern and concerned gaze, "the nobles will try to stir up trouble. Remember that you are all on a sort of probation. Any violent or destructive act, however minor, could be used against you. If enough of the nobility become angry and rebellious, I will be forced to withdraw my grant. Do you understand?"

Dilandau and his companions nodded. ~Such are politics~

Millerna continued. "You will be...provoked...on numerous occasions. Young hotheads will challenge you; fatherless sons will try to avenge their family losses. I am very apprehensive concerning the upcoming 'celebration'. With the delicate issue of Van Fanel's death, you will all be in danger. If you kill someone, even harm them, out of self-defense; enough people might believe you have not changed as you have claimed. Be careful."

The words sunk deep in all of them. Next week would come their first test.

The Queen kept Dilandau back while the others left with strict orders from their former commander to relax and not to get into any trouble.

"I have talked with Eires about your apprenticeship," she told him.

Dilandau's ears perked. He waited in expectant silence.

"She put up quite a fuss, but she agreed to do it. If all goes as planned, you will begin the day after the celebration. I can guarentee you that you will not find a better tutor, nor a tougher one. She will push you to the limit."

"Queen Millerna, I have spent virtually my entire past life as a soldier. I am not afraid of a challenge." Dilandau stood straight, back stiff with pride.

The Queen smiled in response. "One more thing, Dilandau."

~Uh oh~

"Has Allen been bothering you?"

~So she did find out~

"My Lady, I can deal with Schezar myself," Dilandau replied stiffly. He was not about to let anyone else deal with his own -personal- problems.

"As you wish."

Dilandau bowed and turned to leave, but the Queen's voice stopped him as he reached the door.

"By the way, the Zaibach Madoushi were all killed in an explosion when the Fate Redirector was destroyed."

~So he was bluffing~ Dilandau felt a great burden of fear lift from his heart.

Dilandau smiled back at her gratefully. He mouthed words of thanks silently, and left.

The week passed by quickly. It seemed as if Dilandau had been in the palace only a day before he was dressing for the occasion, only a half hour before the start of the banquet.

~First the banquet, then the speeches, and finally the long, boring dance. Maybe I can slip away then, without any trouble...~

Dilandau had been furnished with more formal attire: a cream silk shirt, tasteful black leather pants, and a gold-embroidered crimson tunic complete with a fancy belt and scabbard for his katana. Dilandau thought the vesture complimented his features quite nicely. His newly polished diadem completed his attire. His silver hair still curled up in the front, the fine silky strands setting him apart from everyone else.

~Even after death, I still look good~

His friends were dressed just as elegantly. The eight made a fine sight, following a servant to the ballroom where the banquet and celebrations were to be held. Most of the guests had already arrived. Heads turned and conversation dimmed noticably when the group entered. Dilandau stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Fortunately, the Queen realized his predicament, and began the seating process. This took the attention away from Dilandau...for the moment.

Seating was no easy business. Each position had to be carefully thought out: obviously enemies could not be places next to or across from one another, and Dilandau and his friends' presence had caused multiple migranes for the coordinators. It had all worked out in the end, however, as usual. Dilandau and his companions were seated together with the least politically active of the Asturian nobles.

The banquet was uneventful. Dilandau most certainly enjoyed the food...after Dryden had assured him that there was absolutely no possibility of poisoning.

The speeches, however, were bound to be interesting. Dilandau leaned back in his seat, tense with anticipation, as the Queen strode gracefully to the podium.

"Good citizens of Asturia," she began, her voice easily reaching to the farthest corners of the enormous room, "you have come here for two purposes: to celebrate the end of the Destiny War-" Here Millerna paused to accommodate for the torrent of applause which had erupted. "-and to commemorate the death of King Van Slanzar de Fanel."

Here there was reverent silence. Dilandau noticed more than a few ill glances directed at him and his companions.

"I knew King Van well, although not as well as some. He was a wonderful ruler, filled with a deep caring for his people of Fanelia. We all regret his passing. His ememory will be honored six days hence, at the location of the former palace of Fanelia. The heir to Fanelia will be announced then as well."

The ballroom filled with murmers at that statement. An heir? Fanel had no heir!

"I am sure you are all curious as to who will lead the reconstruction of Fanelia. The details have not yet been settled, so I am afraid that you will all have to wait. Let the rumors fly, as I am sure they must." Here Millerna gave a wry smile, eliciting chuckles from the guests.

"With the Zaibach Empire now fallen, a campaign of peace has begun. There will be no more war, no more battles. I think Gaea has seen enough bloodshed for many years to come." The Queen paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. "This is one of the reasons why I have, as I am sure you already know, granted assylum to the former Zaibach General Dilandau Albatou and his men. You are doubtless wondering why I would harbour such an infamous lot without any hint of a trial of war crimes. Were these normal circumstances, you can be assured that they would indeed be on trial for their actions during the war. However, the situation is far from normal."

No one spoke. The ballroom was filled with dead silence. All attention was fixed on the Queen.

"Some of you may have heard rumors of how King Van was killed, most of them undoubtedly false. However, there should be one rumor among them which contains a rose aura eminating from the pendant of Kanzaki Hitomi, the girl from the Mystic Moon." Millerna smiled at the sudden wave of whispers infecting the audience.

"I see that there is indeed. My public statement tomorrow will contain the full details, but suffice it to say that Dilandau and his Dragonslayers have come back from the dead."

The silence was deafening.

"King Van Fanel killed the Dragonslayers two months ago in battle. No doubt you know this. The seven people attending this banquet (and I know you all know which ones I am speaking of) are from the same elite force destroyed that day. They have come back from the dead. During the final battle of the Destiny War, King Van Fanel slew Dilandau Albatou. He did not keep his accomplishment a secret, I am sure. You all doubtless thought, when you heard that Dilandau was alive, that King Van had simply wounded him, and not fatally. However, Dilandau was, how shall I put it, run through his midsection, thereby severing one of the main arteries of the body. That, as you are all well aware, is a mortal wound. There were several witnesses to Dilandau's death, and all can comfirm what I have just said. Dilandau Albatou came back from the dead." Millerna paused.

"That being so, the eight former soldiers have begun a new life, and their former crimes are of no consequence." Millerna held up her hand to still the angry murmers that broke out. "Hear me. Dilandau has promised me, upon his life, that he has no connection with any of his past deeds. He has assured me as I am assuring all of you, that he shall never again act in such a fashion. He is a guest in Asturia, and under royal protection."

Millerna smiled brightly, and tactfully changed the subject.

"Now then, I do believe the main purpose of this banquet was to celebrate the victory of the Allies." Queen Millerna got no futher, as cheers erupted from the audience. She descended to applause, and with a wave of her hand, the group of musicians began to play. A popular Asturian dance tune filled the air as the nobility rose from their seats and formed partners.

Dilandau gazed at the musicians for a long time, lost in his own thoughts, until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Blinking out of his reverie, he turned, only to be met by a slap in the face. Dilandau's ruby eyes opened wide. Standing two feet from him was an angry young noble with flaming red hair.

"I demand satisfaction from you," the youth snarled. Dilandau clenched his fists, fighting the urge to draw his katana. Instead, the silver haired boy forced himself to be calm.

"I have no quarrel with you," he said smoothly, his face expressionless.

Heads were turning, eyes watching him closely. Dilandau ignored them.

"You killed my brother," the noble snarled, livid with rage.

"I am very sorry for your loss, but that action is a part of the past life I have left behind. I state again; I have no quarrel with you, and therefore I politley and honourably refuse. If you will excuse me?" Dilandau turned and began to walk away, hoping that the young man would stay shocked long enough to allow him to get -away- from this idiotic ball.

No such luck. Dilandau tensed at the scream of steel being drawn. He whipped around, drawing his own katana just in time to block his opponent's wild swing. It was a matter of seconds for Dilandau to disarm the youth and place the tip of his katana to his throat.

"Go ahead," the noble growled. "Finish me." The guests around the pair were silent, watching, waiting.

"Normally, I would. However, due to your present emotional state, I will spare your life." Dilandau sheathed his katana, and stepped back.

The youth stared at him, fury marring his normally handsome features. "Why?"

Dilandau fixed him with an even crimson gaze. "Because I am more of a gentleman than you."

With that, Dilandau walked away, leaving the noble staring after him in consternation. Dilandau's friends gathered around him, eyes filled with confusion and admiration.

"Dilandau-sama," Refina whispered, awed.

"I's sure you all have better things to do than follow me around," Dilandau said. He acted as if the whole incident had never happened. "Go on! Have some fun!" Dilandau eyed Gatti in particular. The blonde Slayer had his eyes fixed enamoredly on a lovely dark-haired lady several feet away. As the other Slayers wandered off, Dilandau watched Gatti approach her.

"Lady Sienna," he beamed. The lady turned, startled. When her bright violet eyes fell on the young man, her face lit up with indescribable joy.

"Gatti-chan!"

Gatti bowed, and delicately kissed her hand, drawing a giggle out of the blushing lady.

Dilandau smiled. At least one of them had a promising future.

The albino weaved his way through the crowd, avoiding anyone who looked at him with a vengeful expression.

~I need some fresh air~

The palace gardens were located just outside the ballroom. They were a perfect place to take a cooling walk. Dilandau strolled down the path, letting the evening breeze gently ruffle his hair. His eyes wandered to the Mystic Moon. It gleamed eerily in the dark sky. For the second time, Dilandau thought of Hitomi, and wondered how the war might have gone differently if she had stayed.

The albino found a bench and sat wearily down. He leaned back and closed his eyes, letting himself drift off in his thoughts.

|I see you have done it, Dilandau|

~Gah! Folken! Why do you -do- that?~

|I am pleased indeed with your application. I wouldn't have thought you able to walk away from that young man|

~Don't remind me~

|I had hoped you would keep your love of music. Treasure it well, Dilandau|

~Folken?~ Something had been bothering Dilandau for some time now.

|Yes, Dilandau?|

~Why did you help me when you knew your actions would likely result in your brother's death?~

There was a long pause before Folken answered.

|Van needed to face his actions. You realize that the brother I had cherished died when Hitomi Kanzaki left. The test simply made certain of that|

Dilandau nodded mentally, understanding what Folken was trying to say.

|Speaking of Van...|

*Hello, Dilandau*

~GAAAAAAH! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!~

*...*

|Van has joined me in the underworld, and he has, in death, reconciled his past life. And no, you needn't worry; he will not be returning to torment you|

*I am quite content where I am, Dilandau*

~Good~

An uncomfortable pause stretched between them.

~Van?~

*Dilandau?*

Another long pause.

~I forgive you~

The words fell like a long-carried onus from Dilandau's mind.

There was a pause as the brothers smiled.

*I forgive you too, Dilandau*

As he felt the two fade from his mind, Dilandau's heart was at peace. Van would no longer trouble him. He could go on with his life with his vendetta finally laid to rest. He opened his eyes.

~Oh great~

Merle was standing before him.

Dilandau sat up straight, unsure of what to do.

"Pardoned," she spat at him. " You don't deserve it. You deserve to die."

"Merle," Dilandau began. But the tear-streaked cat girl cut him off.

"You KILLED him! How could you, you MONSTER! You aren't worthy to kiss his boots! Do you have any idea how much he meant to me? You couldn't possibly! You have no capacity for love! You're an inhuman beast! I HATE YOU!"

Merle shook from her outburst. She stared at him, loss and rage mixed in here eyes.

"I do understand, Merle. Please, give me a chance." Dilandau motioned for her to sit down. Merle didn't twitch. Dilandau sighed, wondering how on earth he was going to placate the girl.

"I was very close to my Dragonslayers. I still am. When I lost them, I cracked completely. They were my entire world. I believe I am correct in assuming that you had the same relationship with Van?"

Merle nodded dumbly. "He adopted me when my family was killed. He was all I had. Now I have nothing. He was such a good soul. How could you kill him?"

"I didn't kill him, Merle. I had the chance twice to kill him and I did not. I gave him a chance. As much pain as he'd caused me, I gave him a chance at life. But he failed. I know that doesn't make your loss any easier to bear, but I'm asking you to give me the same chance I gave Van."

Merle stared at him, her face expressionless, for a long time. From somewhere unknown, the memory of the vision of a small boy playing a pipe surfaced in her mind.

Slowly, Merle sat down next to Dilandau. The two remained silent for several minutes.

"I can't forgive you," Merle said at last.

"I know. I'm not asking you to yet. Maybe you can someday, but in the meantime please understand what I've told you."

"It's her fault then too," Merle hissed.

"Her fault?"

"That wench from the Mystic Moon. If she hadn't stolen Van, he wouldn't have wasted away. She abandoned him."

Dilandau bent his head. How much different would things have been if she'd stayed? Dilandau thought that he could never begin to imagine.

"Millerna has an idea who would be a good ruler for Fanelia, now that Van is gone."

Merle sniffed. "Yeah? So?"

"Who do you think?"

Merle shrugged her shoulders disinterestedly.

Dilandau eyed her quizzically, and odd expression on his face.

Merle glared at him. "What are you looking at?" she snapped.

"Oh nothing. I'm just imagining you wearing a crown."

Merle's jaw dropped. "You mean...you mean that I'M the heir?"

Dilandau grinned. "A fitting choice, don't you think?"

Merle stared at him as if he'd gone completely insane...again.

"Have you lost your mind?" she shrieked.

Dilandau chuckled, his crimson eyes mischievous.

"Oh, wait. Stupid question. Seriously, how can I be Queen of Fanelia? I'm not even royal!"

"You've been around Van most of your life. You know politics just as well as the next regent. Millerna or Eires can advise you when you have trouble. You have a good head, you're logical when you need to be, and I know you'll have only the best intentions for Fanelia. I can't think of a person more qualified."

Merle was speechless.

"Think on it. If you really don't want to, no one will make you. Now, why don't you go and talk to Millerna? She's the one who will make the announcement, after all."

In a daze, the cat-girl stood, looked at Dilandau for a long moment, nodded slowly, and walked back to the ballroom.

Dilandau sighed.

~This war has affected so many people. I wonder if we'll ever get our lives straightened out.~

Dilandau knew what Folken would say. All you can do is try.

~Thank you, Folken~

With another smile, the silver-haired boy who had been given a second chance rose and slipped back towards the bright, shining lights, and the beautiful music.

_The End. For now._


End file.
